The Rise of Overlord Vulcan - Rewrite!
by The Dark Dragen
Summary: Read as how a different history, having an imaginary twin sister at a young age, and a having a different life before Hogwarts changes Harry from a weak and lonely boy, to the most powerful Dark Wizard the world had ever seen - Overlord Vulcan. (Second Year Begins!) Please read and review.
1. Prologue - The Birth of Lucy Potter!

_**The Rise of Overlord Vulcan - Rewrite!**_

_**By**_

_**Dark Dragen.**_

_**Summary:**_ Read as how a different history, having an imaginary twin sister at a young age, and a having a different life before Hogwarts changes Harry from a weak and lonely boy, to the most powerful Dark Wizard the world had ever seen - Overlord Vulcan. Rewrite, hopeful a much better version than the last two.

_**Warnings:**_ Underage Sex, Smut/Lemons, Twincest, sort of, Forced Sex, Rape, Torture, Threesomes, Foursomes, there's going to be much more, so if you don't like a VERY Dark and Evil Harry and the things that come with this, so if you're not over eighteen then PLEASE stop reading now.

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not in any shape or form own Harry Potter, be it characters, spells, items, or anything else that's connected to the Harry Potter books/movies; they all belong to J. K. Rowling &amp; the Warner Bros Pictures. I don't even earn any money from this.

The only characters that I do own are the ones that you haven't read about in the books. Although, I wish I did, that way I could come up with a more believable way for Harry ending up with Ginny or someone who is better for him. Also I would made Hermione less trusting of people like Dumbledore and less bossy. Anyway, onto the story.

I'll be having other crossovers as the story goes along, and I'll be adding Disclaimers when needed. I would like to point out that I'll be adding movies, TV shows and books/comics in this version. So you have been warned.

_**Author's Note:**_ Now I would like to first apologize for this rewrite, but I would like to point out that this isn't the first one, as I'm doing so with Harry Potter and the Sekirei Plan, and this might not be the last. You see when I started this I gotten two Beta Readers, I AM ZE BETA and SuperNova64 both from hpfanficarchive, after a long talk it was decided that after working on Chapter Nine, it was better to rewrite the story then work on it.

Both of them agreed that they wanted to BBQ the chapter because it was that bad. For more information, please go here www . fanfiction topic/112683/107874761/1/#121878746 and it'll explain what is going on. (So please read, as it got some important points about what I have planned for this version.)

I would like to say that at this time, both of them have real life issues to deal with and no long able to look over this, I AM ZE BETA got school and work, and SuperNova64 has got a newborn to look after and other things to deal with. So it means I'm looking for another new Beta Reader to help me, if you're interested, please let me know.

_**Prologue…**_

_**The Birth of Lucy Potter!**_

_25th of December 2006 - Dursley's Household!_

It has been five years since the six year old Harry Potter was found by his Aunt Petunia Dursley on the front door like a pint of milk, and since then Harry's life had been awful. He was treated like a slave. Worse, in fact, as a slave would be allowed to eat, have good fitting clothes, and bedroom bigger than the broom cupboard that Harry currently slept in.

But young Harry received none of that. He got the oversized hand-me-down clothes that belonged to his large cousin Dudley. Dudley was what Harry called a pig in a wig, as he was fat, ate a lot, and had the manners of a pig. Harry would be lucky if he ate at all. One of the punishments his family loved to inflict on him was to refuse to let him eat for a few days, and when he was finally allowed to eat it was only a glass of water, a dry slice of bread, and if he was _really_ lucky, some dry cheese. As for his bedroom, it was a small cupboard under the stairs, which was full of spiders.

Harry didn't know why his family hated him, but they did; as far back as he could remember they had hated him. They would never call him Harry, but instead called him either Boy or Freak - he only found out his name last year when he started school. The only time they wouldn't call him Freak, just Potter or Boy, was when they were out in public. Then they would treat him slightly better, as appearances were very important to the Dursleys and they wanted to be seen as a nice and respectful family.

If only they knew the truth about them, his so called family. They were anything but nice and respectful. Harry didn't know why they treated him harshly, but they did. Apart from calling him Boy or Freak, they punished him for the simplest of things. Things like "forcing them" to spend money on him, "daring" to burn the food he was forced to prepare for them, but never eat himself, or any number of other things that they blamed him for. He usually had one of two punishments, they either punished him by withholding food and keeping him in his cupboard for days on end, or his so-called Uncle would beat him for whatever imagined wrong Harry had committed. It wasn't often, but when his Uncle had one too many drinks, or he had a bad day at work, he would beat him and his Aunt would allow it. She would set back with a smirk her face, and watch as he did so. Aside from punishing him for imagined wrongs, they would also allow their son Dudley to bully and beat him whenever he chose, and they would _reward _their son for doing so.

Harry often wondered what it would be like to have a family, someone who would love and care for him like a normal person. He would often imagine that he had a family. A mother and father, and sometimes a brother or sister or even both, who loved and cared for him. He enjoyed these times, as it would dull out the pain of his hellish life. But, due to the Dursleys' normal treatment towards him, that imaginary scenario was shattered very easily. He might imagine that he had a happy family for a few hours, at most for a day, before the Dursleys would do or say something that would return him to the hellish world that was his life.

It was Christmas Day and young Harry Potter was curled up in a ball, sobbing in his closet. It was another Christmas Day where the Dursleys had locked him up in his cupboard whilst they were all having a big Christmas Dinner and giving each other gifts, none of which were for him.

Harry was again indulging in his fantasy of what it would be like to have a happy and caring family, and what it would be like to have a Christmas Day with them, with dinner, gifts and all the festivities that come with the day. A smile formed on his lips as he thought about it, the gifts he might have had from his parents and any brothers and sisters he might have had, and the fun they would have, before having dinner. Oh, how he wished that his dream could come true, so he wouldn't be alone anymore, but it wasn't to be.

He was sad; all he wanted was a friend. Someone, anyone, who would talk to him, care about what happened to him, and be there for him in times of loneliness and need. But, between the lies that his so called family made up about him, and Dudley bullying anyone who came near him, it seemed impossible for him to make any friends. As Harry thought about friends, he thought about a few kids at school who he found talking to themselves. It was strange, but when he confronted one of them about it they explained they were talking to an invisible friend that only they could hear and see. Harry found that strange, but when he asked a teacher - he knew his so called Aunt and Uncle wouldn't tell him as it wasn't normal - they explained that these kids created pretend friends, or imaginary friend as most people called them. They weren't actually real, but were only real to those kids as they have problems in life or have no friends and so they make one up, so they could have someone to talk to.

As Harry seat there in his cupboard he begun to think that this is what he needed, an imaginary friend who he could talk to. It would be a great idea; it would be one person who Dudley couldn't bully away, and who wouldn't stay away from him because of his Aunt's and Uncle's lies about him. The more he thought about, he decided he could do one better, he could create an imaginary family member. Someone who would love him, care for him and support him in whatever he did. He knew that it wouldn't actually be real, but it would be better than what he already had.

That had been around lunch time. As dinner time approached the smell of food, food that _he _cooked, was coming from the kitchen as the Dursleys were eating dinner. Harry had been sent back to his cupboard with the only food he was allowed, one slice of dried bread and a small glass of milk that was starting to turn. For the first time Harry wasn't bothered by this, since for most of the day he had been thinking about what kind of family member he wanted, and he finally decided upon a twin sister.

He came up with a twin because there was a pair at his school, and no matter what happened they were always together and having fun. As for it being a twin sister instead of brother, the truth was that he flipped a coin; he couldn't decide if he wanted a brother or a sister and so decided to let a flip of a coin decide. Heads for brother, tails for sister.

Seeing that she was going to be his twin sister, Harry decided she would be like a female version of him, black hair and green eyes, but her hair would be longer. Not only that, but he decided that she wouldn't be like him, shy with a lack of confidence and fear of his family. Harry often wished he had more confidence himself, but he really disliked brash, cocky people who were always talking. So instead of brash and cocky, his sister would be quiet and calculating in public, but mischievous and fun-loving around those she cared for. And unlike him, she had the confidence to not care one lick about what people thought about her as long as she was happy with the decisions she made.

The world is a strange place. Despite many people spending their entire lives delving into the secret turnings of the world, the Earth still has many secrets that she keeps to herself, and one of these secrets was about to change Harry Potter's life forever.

This particular secret that was about to begin revealing itself to young Harry, was the existence of magic. Earth was a clever and mysterious existence. Centuries ago it was able to convince people the world over that magic was nothing more than the superstition of primitive people who didn't understand the way the world worked, so they invented the idea of magic to explain the unexplainable. But the reality was that magic was real, and since Magic Users had learned how to use it, Earth now had a harder time in hiding magic from the world. As a result, it became the responsibility of magic users the world over to hide the reality of magic from the world at large. The transition was a little rough, which explains rumours of magic during medieval times, but eventually the magical community was able to hide magic from the rest of the world.

Even though magic existed, there were only a rare handful of people who had the ability to use it. Young Harry was one of these select few, and unknown to Harry magic was about to manifest itself in helping him to create his imaginary sister.

As Harry sat in his cupboard and focused all of his childhood concentration on the image and personality of his twin sister, he felt something rather strange welling up from deep within him. His concentration was briefly broken as he tried to identify the sensation, but as soon as he focused on it, it disappeared.

Slightly confused, Harry went back to focusing on his sister only to notice the strange sensation again. But, once again, as soon as he tried to concentrate on the sensation, it disappeared. This strange phenomenon repeated itself several times until a frustrated six-year-old Harry decided to just ignore it and focus on creating his imaginary sister.

Now, Harry was surprisingly fortunate in one regard. Because the Dursleys had ignored him so well over the course of his life, Harry had always had to rely on his own mind to entertain him. As a result, his powers of concentration and visualization were surprisingly well developed for a child his age. So, because of the amount of, inadvertent, practice he had, Harry was able to fully imagine the full basic makeup of his sister while ignoring the strange sensation welling up from deep inside him.

The feeling built as he added more and more details in his mind about his sister. It started deep in his stomach and spread throughout his body until his whole body was infused with a strange, tingling, warmth. Soon the warmth turned to pressure, like something within trying to escape. The pressure also seemed to drive Harry harder and faster to add new things to the character of his sister. It became a feverish race between Harry adding characteristics and features to his sister and the pressure building up and pushing him even faster.

Finally the pressure peaked just as Harry completed the last detail that he wanted in his imaginary sister. As soon as he realized he was done, he felt the pressure surge and seem to explode outward, with every nerve ending in his body lighting up simultaneously; the resulting loss of pressure drained all the energy from his young body, and Harry fell back on his bed, exhausted, and felt sleep overtake him.

"So, Harry, this is your bedroom, huh brother?" a female voice said, startling Harry from his impromptu nap. He looked around and saw someone who looked very much like himself, only female, sitting on the side of his bed watching him. A mass of long, black, hair framed startlingly green eyes, identical to his own, that were currently staring at him as a sly smirk began to creep across her face.

"S-S-Sister?" Harry sputtered.

"Who else could I be?" the girl responded playfully. "What other girls do you know? Besides, who else could possibly fit inside this dreadfully small cupboard?"

It was true, too. The only other kids Harry knew were his classmates, and hardly any of them even acknowledged his existence, let alone spent any time with him. Besides, even though he was six-years old, the broom cupboard under the stairs was already becoming uncomfortably small. No other real person could possibly fit inside while he was there.

"It worked! I can't believe it actually worked! I'll have to thank some of those kids at school for telling me about this! I finally have a sister!" Harry whispered excitedly. Even though he was near bursting at the seams with joy at his imaginary sister experiment working, he was still mindful of not drawing unwanted attention from the Dursleys. "I wasn't positive that this would actually work, but it did! This is awesome!"

"Of course it worked, silly brother. Why wouldn't it work? It's your imagination, and we both know how good you are at imagining things to keep yourself entertained." Harry's sister stated matter of factly before reaching out and giving Harry his first ever hug.

Harry was shocked. Not only did the imaginary sister idea work, but now she was hugging him and he could actually feel it! Who knew that imaginary friends could give you real hugs? Harry didn't really care about how she was doing it, all he cared about was the fact that he was enjoying his first ever love-filled hug.

"So, Harry, what's up? Whatcha doin?" His sister asked when she broke the hug after several wonderful minutes.

"Nothing much." Harry replied. "Just trying to get over how cool it is that I finally have a sister. And trying to think of a name! Oh crap! I spent all my time thinking about how to make you real, that I didn't even think about what to call you. What is your name?"

"I don't have a name yet, silly." His sister said with a smirk that changed to a full faced grin. "You haven't given me a name yet. I would like to help you select a name for me, though. That way I don't end up with a name like Daisy or Penny. Yech!"

Harry's face flushed red because those were two of the names that had actually been floating around in his mind as good names to use. "Sure, sis. Any ideas what you would like to be called?"

And so the back-and-forth conversation began between Harry and his Sister. It took quite a while, because they both had lots of fun proposing ridiculous names just to get the other person to laugh. Never before had Harry enjoyed himself so much for so long. Always before his moments of happiness were incredibly brief, but this time the happiness lasted.

Harry's favourite memory of his life to date was when the discussions were finished and he was able to say, "I love having you as a sister. Lucy Anna Potter."

Now that they came up with a new name for Lucy, Harry went to sleep for the night. When Harry woke up in the morning, the real fun would begin, and soon Harry would find out how special he really was and begin to learn what he could do and how to control his new skills.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Once again I would like to first apologize for this rewrite, but as I said in my Forum, 'I read the story to see how I can continue it, there are parts of the story I didn't like and I thought hard before I decided to do this. If you are a writer, I think you can understand where I'm coming from, you read your work and found out that you don't like your work for whatever reason and so do one of two things. 1) You abandon the story. 2) You either rework, edit or rewrite the story all together. Me I'm reworking the story, the plot and most what you see will still be there, but I'll be add a few new ideas and characters into the story.'

Not only that, but as I wrote the chapters of this new version of Overlord Vulcan, I came to see how bad the other two version was. The chapter of Harry's Childhood alone was awful, I think you would have to agree, as it lacked detail of why things happened, like the reason why Harry became dark as he was. It didn't show enough to make Harry's character believable, I hope that this version make it more so.

Either way, I would also like to apologize for the long wait, but I had writers block along with the muse not willing to work with me. But now that this is up, I would like to thank you all for reading this new version, and I hope you like the start of this version. I hope you like the way how I wrote how Lucy came to be. It was something I wanted to do before, but until now I wasn't able to think to do so, so I hope you like how I brought Lucy into Harry's life.

I hope you give me a few minutes and review, as I would like to see what you think of this version. I'm suspecting them, but I would like to ask - though I doubt it'll do much - but please no flaming about rewrites, as I already explained about that. I hope that the extra detail about how Lucy came to be will make up for the rework of this story, and get me a few good reviews.

I was going to wait until I've done Harry childhood saga before posting, but as I done the Interlude for this story, I've got requests that I wanted to ask you and so posting it now. But I do have a few chapters done, and so it won't be too bad. Now whilst I've already got chapter one, Interlude (which is in three parts,) chapter two and three done, and starting on with chapter four, I'm after ideas for the rest of Harry's childhood, for anything that I might have missed during that time. And if there's anything from the last version that I can make better, please let me know and I'll see what I can do and fix it.

One last thing, I would like to ask if you all could check out my old Beta Readers, I AM ZE BETA's and SuperNova's, story: Harry Potter: World at War. It's posted under I AM ZE BETA'S Penname on fanfiction dot night and hpfanficarchive dot com, so give these guys a read for all their hard work please!

**Next Chapter: **In the next chapter will be the start of Harry's Childhood Saga, in this chapter we'll see Harry finding out about his powers, and we'll see a small glimpse of the new group Harry'll be facing later in the story.


	2. Chapter 1 - Harry's Childhood - Part 1!

_**Author's Note:**_ I would like to thank all those who reviewed the last chapter, and I'm happy to find that apart for a handful of people, most of you enjoyed the rewrite and understood why I done the rewrite for. Before we start, I would like to say that once we get to the first year and onwards, apart for adding about the Mystics to chapters when needed, the story well be the same as before, with the character bashing, the Outcasts and all that. As it'll help me to update much faster, I'll only be editing a few things to them when I see the need to, and if you guys can see something that needs to be changed from the last version of the story.

Some of you would by now notice that I have deleted most of my other works, I did this as I wasn't planning to continue them, or I had a few personal problems over the last few weeks and didn't think it was a good idea to have them up. But if you search for them on the net, you should find them. Some of my work may return to fanfiction and hpfanficarchive, but I can't be sure right now. And some of my works are lost for good as my laptop had a problem and lost most of my work, and I can't find a backup of them anywhere, I'm still looking but I fear the worst. I'm just glad some of my work can be found on the net.

_**Chapter One…**_

_**Harry's Childhood - Part 1!**_

_**(Magical Discovery!)**_

_22nd of March 2007 - St. Gregory's Primary School:_

The months following the creation of Harry's sister, Lucy, were the best of his life. Together, the two Potter siblings had so much fun; they talked, shared, planned, and played simple games. Because of his deep desire to escape his life because of the treatment he received from the Dursleys, and others, Harry became so involved with doing things with Lucy that sometimes he forgot she wasn't real. But when he did happen to remember that she was imaginary, he began to wonder whether or not that was actually the case. Sure, no one else could see or hear her, other than him. She wasn't able to touch or interact with solid objects, other than him, but there was still something strange about her… not that he paid too much attention to those things, but they were there, nonetheless.

First off, she was able to talk about things and have ideas that didn't come from him. It was almost as if she was equal parts his own imagination and her own free will. Of course, it could easily be argued that because she was part of him, she was simply able to express the things hidden within his own subconscious mind.

The other strange thing about Lucy, and this one could not be easily explained, was that she was able to notice things and people that Harry could not possibly have noticed on his own. An example of this was when Harry was searching for his book bag after Dudley and his friends had hidden it one day. He searched everywhere he could think of, to no avail, until Lucy told him that she saw it tucked away inside a bush that Harry hadn't even looked at yet. She was also able to act as a very reliable lookout. Several times Harry was able to avoid being seen by people, like Dudley and his friends, only because Lucy told him they were coming. Harry had no idea how she was able to do and know things that he couldn't, but it didn't bother him too much since it was extremely useful.

Over the next few months, Harry's life began to change for the better, and it was all because of Lucy's encouragement. Her influence convinced Harry to begin doing things that he normally would have never dreamed of on his own. She started slow by convincing Harry to sneak out of his cupboard late at night to eat real food, not just the stale bread and water the Dursleys fed him.

At first, Harry was terrified that the Dursleys would notice the missing food, but it soon became apparent that his Aunt Petunia simply assumed either her husband or son were eating extra. The Dursleys had spent so much time abusing Harry over the years that the thought of him defying any of their orders was completely alien to them. When Harry realized the Dursleys wouldn't notice the missing food he began to listen to more of Lucy's suggestions. He began watching the family owned movies, that the Dursleys wouldn't let him see, at night while he ate more food.

Over the course of the next few weeks, the semi-regular eating of good food had a positive change on Harry. He began to recover from the malnutrition that had been affecting him and began to get stronger. It would take a few years to recover fully from the malnutrition, because even though the Dursleys were not very bright he still had to be careful not to eat too much to get caught.

But as his strength grew, Lucy's advice pushed the boundaries more. No more was Harry going straight home from school to hide from his Aunt every day. Now, he was taking trips to the library to read comic books and other stories about people with superpowers. He was also sneaking into the cinema to view the newest and best movies. In short, Harry's life had gone from a living hell, to every child's dream; and it was all thanks to the influence of his imaginary sister, Lucy.

Lucy's skill to see through things, and to find things that he couldn't, came in particularly handy when she found the key to the glass cupboard where the Dursleys kept their DVD's.

For reasons known only to them, the Dursleys were incredibly overprotective of their belongings, and just as adamant that Harry was not allowed to touch, or use, anything of theirs. Their position was most evident in their refusal to allow Harry to view their collection of DVD's.

Once, when Harry asked 'why not' as he was being thrown roughly into his cupboard, his Uncle told him that they 'didn't want him getting any ideas.' Harry really didn't understand what they meant by that, but because of it, he wasn't allowed to watch any of the movies. So, of course, watching movies was one of the first things he wanted to do, besides eat, once Lucy talked him into leaving his cupboard at night.

So far, he had seen quite a few films, but some of his favourites were Fantastic Four, X-Men 1 &amp; 2, and a pirated film called Jumper. Jumper wasn't supposed to be released until the next year, but apparently Uncle Vernon knew someone in the film industry who owed him. To help pay off his debt, this man would send Vernon movies from time to time before they were even released to the theatres. Jumper was one of many films that Vernon had received, and he kept them well hidden from the rest of his movies. Of course, no hiding spot was safe from Lucy, a fact that Harry loved and used constantly.

Harry liked Jumper because the main character, David Rice, was able to teleport, or 'Jump' as the film called it, from one place to another instantly as long as he had a clear picture as to where he wanted to go. In the film, David uses his power to steal money, but leaves notes saying he would pay them back some day, and is able to live lavishly while travelling all around the world.

Problems arise when David comes to the attention of a shadowy group of people, called Paladins, who make it their mission to hunt down and kill Jumpers. The Paladins were religious extremists who believe that Jumpers are an abomination because 'only God should have the ability to be everywhere at once'. The Paladins had discovered that a Jumper's only weakness is an inability to 'Jump' when a high-voltage current is run through their body. Using tactics designed to trap Jumpers, the Paladins close in on David and he is forced to fight for his life. All in all, it was a good film that Harry really liked because of the happy ending where David ends up with his crush, Millie Harris, and lives happily ever after. He also liked it because the idea of 'Jumping' was fascinating.

One of the characters in the story that David meets is another Jumper named Griffin who is obsessed with trying to kill a Paladin by the name of Roland. His justification is that if Roland were dead, there would be one less person in the world who wanted him dead. Harry and Lucy both agreed that killing in cold blood would be wrong, but to kill someone in self-defence was just fine. They also agreed that it would be awesome to have that kind of power; the power to go wherever in the world they wanted whenever they wanted. Harry also really liked some of the powers and abilities that he saw in the other films, like the Human Torch's ability to control fire.

Over the course of the next few months, whenever Harry wasn't in school, being forced to do chores, being punished by his relatives for the tiniest of infractions, or spending time watching movies, reading comics, or playing, he was spending time building up Lucy's personality. As the months flew by Lucy grew more and more defined, and more and more became someone he wished he could be. Harry put everything he wished he was into Lucy; and she, in turn, pushed Harry to be more like the person he wanted to be.

Once she got him out and about doing things that were fun for himself, she began to guide him in exploring his mischievous side. As with exploring the world outside his cupboard, she started small; like getting him to pull a prank and get someone else blamed for it, or other small tricks to be played on unsuspecting people. As a way to retaliate for all the bad treatment, Harry usually targeted either Dudley or one of his gang for his pranks or to be the ones to receive the blame.

When Harry and Lucy didn't have anything else to do, they would talk to each other. Lucy had two favourite topics of discussion. The first was Dudley. Lucy loved to make jokes about Dudley. Usually about his weight, Dudley was quite fat, or his below average intelligence. Harry enjoyed these conversations because Lucy would say the things about Dudley that Harry wanted to say himself, but couldn't. He was too afraid of being overheard and the joke getting back to Dudley. But Lucy could say whatever she wanted because no one besides Harry could hear her.

Lucy's second favourite topic of conversation was Harry himself. This was a perfect example of Lucy coming up with an idea that did not originate with Harry. Lucy was adamant that Harry was special in some way. She insisted that he had a gift that other people didn't. This was really hard for Harry because he had never before considered himself special, or in any way better than other people. In fact, he usually felt just the opposite. He considered himself to be weaker than those around him.

The idea that he could actually be better, different in a positive way, than the people around him was, originally, very hard to Harry to imagine. However, as Lucy talked about this idea with more and more conviction, Harry began to look back on his life while considering her idea as an actual possibility, and he had to admit to himself that the idea might actually be right. It would certainly explain a lot. If his Aunt and Uncle knew, it would definitely explain why they hated him so much and had spent so much time and effort making him feel less than he was. They were jealous of the fact that he had something that they could never have, and they could easily let their jealousy justify hurting others. Plus, if Harry really was special or different, then there was also the fact that there was nothing the Dursleys hated more than something, or someone, being different than everybody else.

Near the end of March Harry was walking across the school grounds away from the school when his sister appeared next to him. "Hey Harry. How's it going, brother?"

"Not too bad sis," Harry sigh with a sigh, "I'm just getting tired of dumbing myself down in class so I don't do better that Dudley. It wouldn't be too bad, I do learn all the stuff in class, but the teachers keep getting mad at me for doing poorly on the tests and that gets annoying."

"So why don't you just stop missing the questions?" asked Lucy.

"You know the answer to that. If I did that, I would be punished by Uncle Vernon for showing up his son," said Harry with another sigh, "and that is one thing I don't want. I mean, it's not my fault that his son is such a fat, stupid pig, but if I were to ever do something to point out that fact to Uncle Vernon, he would make my home life even more miserable than it already is."

Lucy sighed to herself. She fully understood what her brother was saying. The walking tub of lard that called himself Vernon Dudley would surely hurt Harry if he actually did better at anything than his dear, equally fat, son. Oh, how she wished she could hurt the fat man, his fat son, and his surprisingly skinny wife for all they had done, and continued to do, to her brother. But alas, she had no physical body and had no way to actually do anything to help her brother. All she could do was continue to be there for him whenever he needed someone to talk to.

For now, though, she wanted to return to one of her favourite topics; why the Dursleys hated her brother so much. "Have you given any more thought about why the Dursleys don't like you?" she asked.

Harry sighed aloud. He had often thought about the answer to that question, especially since Lucy had recently started bringing it up so often. Why was it that his only family hated him so much? Try as he might, he really couldn't think of anything that he could have done to deserve their hatred. The only things Harry could think of were: he cried too much as a baby, the Dursleys hated his parents and took their hatred out on him, they just hated his very existence and didn't have, or need, a reason to justify it, or maybe Lucy was right and they hated him because they sensed something different in him and they hated anything different.

"You know better than anyone else how much I have thought about that Lucy," Harry replied sadly. "But, I've never been able to figure out why they would hate me. You know all the different theories I've had over the years, but none of them really make much sense to me. Your idea does make the most sense, but I'm still not sure that I'm special in any way. If anything, I feel like I'm less special. I can't run as fast or jump as high as some of the kids. I do understand what's being said in class, and just miss questions on the tests on purpose so I don't appear smarter than Dudley, but there are some really smart kids in the school. I don't see myself as any more special than the other kids."

Harry and Lucy had been walking through the park together when Harry noticed saw a park bench that seemed like a good place to sit for a bit.

"Well Harry, my dear brother, I think I've finally realized what your gift might be!" Lucy said with an oddly excited smile as she sat next to him on the bench. She leaned in close as if she had a grand secret to share with him.

"Now, before you say something negative, I want you to listen and promise to keep an open mind. I want you to think about what I say before you say it isn't possible; can you do that, brother?" Harry just nodded his agreement as he gestured for her to continue.

"As you know, I think the reason why the Dursleys hate you is because you are special. The special part is that I believe you have magic!"

Without thinking, Harry blurted out, "But Uncle Vernon says that there is no such thing as magic!" His uncle had beaten that particular thought into him over the years with a vengeance. "Besides, if I really had magic, wouldn't I have shown some proof of it by now? I think you're wrong; I don't have any magical powers."

As Lucy was about to respond, her eyes suddenly grew wide as she focused on something behind Harry. Just as Harry started to turn around to see what she was looking at, he heard a voice say, "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Looks like the Freak is talking to himself again. What kind of a loon talks to himself? Hey boys, maybe we should call him Loony, instead of Freak! What do you think?"

Harry turned to see Dudley and his gang of friends. Piers Polkiss, a rat faced boy who was Dudley's second in command, Dennis Parker, a very dimwitted boy with dark hair and pale skin, Gordon Green, a blond haired, light skinned boy who thought it hilarious to pick his nose and wipe his finger on unsuspecting people, and Malcolm Macklin, another light skinned boy with dirty blonde hair and poor complexion as a result of his love of candies and sweets. Harry and Lucy had together come up with nicknames for each of the gang. In fact, Harry had a hard time, sometimes, remembering the real names of the boys. He always just referred to them as Fat Boy (Dudley), Rat Face (Piers Polkiss), Dumbass (Dennis Parker), Goober (Gordon Green), and M&amp;M (Malcolm Macklin).

"Oooh look, it's Fat Boy, Rat Face, and the rest of the goon squad," Lucy said with a smirk because she knew the idiots couldn't hear her. It really was a shame she couldn't touch anyone or she would have loved to kick some of the boys in the balls. "What do these fools want"?

Harry couldn't help himself and chuckled aloud at what Lucy had said.

"What's so funny, Loony?" Rat Face Polkiss sneered.

"Oh nothing Polkiss, just something I heard earlier," Harry said with a smile, "so what are you lot doing here?"

"We were on our way to Gordon's house, when we saw you sitting here and decided to come say hi," Dudley said in a falsely sweet voice. One of his favourite pastimes was picking on Harry, especially in front of his other friends. "We hardly spend any time together, little cousin. I wonder why that is? Do you miss hanging out with me? Is that why you started talking to yourself? If you're that desperate for a friend, perhaps you should try making friends with Bishop. Maybe you, him, and both of your imaginary friends can all sit down for a tea party!"

Dudley's friends laughed at his lame joke. Bishop was Kevin Bishop, an eight-year-old kid who was constantly talking to his own imaginary friend. Harry didn't know much about Bishop, other than his reputation, and really had no interest in getting to know him either. He knew what would happen.

"Sorry, Dudley. I don't know Bishop very well. But even if I did, we both know what would happen if I tried to befriend him. You would bully him and constantly beat him up until he ignored me like you've done to everyone else at this school. I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone." Harry responded. "So you tell me, who else am I going to talk to when you isolate me from anyone? You can't bully anyone my imagination comes up with."

"You don't deserve any real friends, Loony." Polkiss said with a nasty smile. "Imaginary friends are the only people who can stand to be around you. You're nothing more than a Freak!"

"I'm a Freak? Do you own a mirror? What happened to your face? Did your mother hook up with a Rat before you were born or something? How else do you explain being a Rat Face…?" Harry retorted. He wasn't really sure where the bravery to say such a thing came from, they weren't saying anything they hadn't said before, he was just sick and tired of putting up with their crap.

Rat Face Polkiss swung a fist to punch Harry, but Harry dodged, causing the punch to miss. Then, as Polkiss stepped forward to follow through with his punch and to grab Harry, he got tangled up with Goober Gordon who had stepped forward to help grab Harry. As a result, both boys fell onto the park bench that Harry had just vacated. Harry's joy at having avoided the punch was short lived as he looked up and saw Dudley bearing down on him with anger burning brightly in his eyes.

"You've done it now Loony," Dudley said. "We would have left you alone after just hitting you once or twice. You should've just taken your blows. Instead you insulted Polkiss' mother, then could have hurt him and Gordon when they fell on that bench. Guys, hold him down. We need to teach this Loony Freak a lesson."

Now, usually Harry would just sit there and take his beating, it was faster and easier than allowing Dudley to get really mad. But today, for whatever reason, Harry felt brave enough to speak his mind and to actually stand up to Dudley.

"Oh no! How scary! I have a Fat Boy, a Rat Face, a Dumbass, a Goober, and an M&amp;M chasing me. Whatever shall I do?" Harry taunted as he dodged out of the boys' grasp, pointing to each boy as he said their nickname before turning and running away. One of the benefits of constantly being picked on by Dudley was that Harry was very familiar with the school and surrounding area. He had learned all the good hiding spots where Dudley and his friends would never be able to find him. It also helped that he had Lucy around to warn him if Dudley or one of his friends managed to get ahead of him so he could take another route.

Today, though, Harry wasn't so lucky. He was enjoying the adrenaline rush that came with finally speaking his mind to Dudley, and wasn't paying attention. So, when Lucy warned him that one of the boys had managed to get ahead of him, he took a wrong turn and ended up running down a narrow path that had both ends covered by Dudley and his gang. Harry knew that getting past the boys at either end of the path wouldn't work, and that his only option was to hide behind some of the garbage bins nearby. Not the funnest place to hide, but it was also one of the least likely places that Dudley and gang would search. So, with bare moments to spare before the gang would be able to see him, Harry took a flying jump to get over some of the smaller rubbish bins, and found himself on the roof top...

As Harry appeared on the roof above the school kitchen, he heard Dumbass Dennis yell out, "Where's Loony?"

"I don't know, didn't you say he came through here?" M&amp;M Malcolm yelled back.

"I saw him too! How could we have missed him?" Goober Gordon asked.

"Idiots! It's obvious he's here somewhere. Probably hiding somewhere shaking in fear," Dudley shouted, taking control of his gang. "Fan out and search for him. I can't wait to plant my fist in that skinny punk's face."

Harry placed his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath, and listened to the sounds coming from below as the gang searched for him. When he had caught his breath, the panic he had felt as he was running from the gang began to dissipate and Harry felt a new concern creep up from the back of his mind. How had he gotten on the roof? He remembered making the decision to jump behind the rubbish bins, and he remembered starting to jump, but he had no idea how he ended up on the roof. Was it possible that maybe the wind picked him up and made him jump higher than he planned? He was very scrawny, maybe even scrawny enough for that to be possible.

As he was thinking about how he could have ended up on the roof, Lucy appeared next to him with a huge smile on her face and said, "See Harry? I told you that you have magic! You just 'Jumped'! Exactly like David in Jumper!" Lucy was jumping up and down in her excitement. Here was the proof that her brother was magical, just like she knew he was.

"Oh, come on Lucy. It was just a stronger than usual gust of wind," Harry half-heartedly denied. "I'm so scrawny that I'll bet it's possible for the wind to help carry me. I'm sure that's all it was. I'm not like David." Truthfully, Harry was really beginning to believe that something strange actually did happen. There were just too many coincidences.

Lucy sighed to herself. What would it take to convince her brother that magic was real, and that he had it? She wasn't sure herself why she felt so strongly that magic was real, but she did. She had almost all of Harry's memories and feelings and could remember vividly some of Uncle Vernon's rants about how there was no such thing as magic. Magic was something that existed only in the movies and in books. It didn't exist in real life. But still, there was something inside of her, something she couldn't identify or explain, that made her certain that magic actually existed.

"Harry, remember that earlier you promised to keep an open mind," Lucy reminded Harry with a deep sigh. She tried again to convince her brother of the truth of what she was trying to tell him. "I know that our dear old Uncle Vernon told you that there is no such thing as magic, but do you really truly believe that the wind carried you up here? You might be a little scrawny, Harry, but there is no way the wind could be strong enough to lift you up this high, while leaving everything else down there untouched. If the wind was actually that strong, there would be a ton of rubbish up here with you. But look around, there's nothing else up here! And remember last week? Your teacher's hair turned blue after you got mad at her for calling you a cheat and a liar just because you did well on your test. Then, even though there was nothing indicating you were responsible, even though they knew it was impossible for you to be responsible, the Dursleys punished you even though you didn't do anything. They seemed to know that you were responsible, even with no evidence to suggest it was you."

As much as Harry wanted to deny it, as much as he wanted to be normal, wanted his family to like him, he knew that his sister was right. How else could he explain what had happened to his teacher? He remembered what it felt like. He felt good about doing well on his test, then the teacher began to yell at him in front of all his other classmates. He felt his face go red from embarrassment even though he hadn't done anything wrong. All he wanted to do was get back at her in some way for embarrassing him like that. He remembered how his body had grown hot while he imagined her hair turning different colours. Then, when he and his classmates returned from recess, he noticed that her hair looked different than it did before the recess break. It had changed from the deep, vibrant red that his teacher was so proud of, to a deep rich blue. It actually looked pretty good, Harry thought, but the rest of the kids had been very quick to point out the colour change and to laugh at the teacher.

And what about just now? As Harry thought back on how he got up to the roof, he remembered feeling that same warmth in his body just as he made the jump. In fact, Harry thought back on the past year and remembered many more examples where someone had been rude to him or called him names. Several times he had wished that something bad would happen to them, then something bad would.

It didn't happen every time, and over the past year whenever something strange had happened Harry had just assumed that it was a coincidence. But in the last several months since Lucy came into his life, and especially since she had been talking to him about magic, he had been thinking about those coincidences again. The strange thing was that every time he had wanted something bad to happen to someone and it had, he had experienced that same strange warmth coming from deep within his own body. And now, with the teacher's hair and him ending up on the roof, he had to admit that magic certainly explained things better than any other explanation he could think of.

It would also explain a great deal about why his relatives hated him so much. The despised anything strange, or unusual, in the world around them. Harry remembered listening to a conversation between Dudley and Uncle Vernon when they were watching one of the superhero movies together. Dudley had wished that people could really do the things that he saw in the movie. Harry would never forget the way Uncle Vernon had gotten mad at Dudley, he never got mad at Dudley, and explained to him in a very angry voice that to wish for things like that was a sin. Only God could, and should, have such power, and to wish to have power like God was blasphemy. Harry had chuckled to himself because of Dudley's discomfort, but the words Vernon had said, and the way he said them, had stuck in Harry's memory. Harry had wondered why his Uncle bought those movies if he railed against the principles in them like he did, but then he realized that was the very reason Vernon watched those movies. He enjoyed complaining about those things. It made him feel righteous, and powerful. Even though, deep down inside, he was simply jealous that he couldn't do those things.

"So, if it is magic, do you really think I can 'Jump' like David in Jumper?" asked Harry.

"Duh! Isn't it obvious?" Lucy scoffed. "How do you think you got up here in the first place? You did it just like David did in the movie when he jumped for the first time. He was frightened, he wanted to be somewhere else, and then he was. He did it the first time without thinking. You just have to learn like he did, by concentrating on where he wanted to go, then 'Jumping' there. Let's start with something easy, concentrate on jumping off this roof and away from Dudley."

Neither Harry nor Lucy were aware, but as Harry was concentrating on completing his first conscious 'Jump', the magic in his body was transforming to fit his needs. The first time that he 'Jumped', he was actually doing something that a hidden world referred to as 'Apparating'. On the surface, both Jumping and Apparating accomplish the same goal. Namely, moving a person from one location to another instantaneously.

The way they do that, however, is slightly different. Jumping opens a window in space and time that the user then 'Jumps' through, hence the name. Apparition, on the other hand, skips the step of opening a window in space-time and simply moves the user from one place to another. Also, when a person Jumps, they need a photographically clear image in their head as to where they are Jumping to in order to complete the Jump to a new location. When a person Apparates, a clear image of where they intend to go is also needed, but it does not need to be as precise as when a person Jumps.

Now the wonderful thing about magic is that it's limitless. Magic is a neutral element that is neither good nor evil. Magic, in and of itself, has no nature; it is formless, and adapts itself to realize the desires of the user, whatever they may be. Some things are impossible to accomplish, but the magic will try to find the closest approximation. It is up to the user to use the magic for good or evil.

Unfortunately, over the course of the last two thousand years, magic had stopped being utilized in the same way it used to be. Originally, magic users learned on their own, letting their personalities work with the magic to create new and wondrous things. However, learning magic that way takes time, and people were too impatient. So, they created training tools to help them learn. These tools took the form of sticks, called wands, which were imbued with the essence of various magical substances. These wands helped to focus a person's magic until they grew strong enough to ditch the wands, and let the magic truly grow and adapt to the user's wishes.

The problem is that over time people begun to forget that the wands were simply a training tool, and believed that the wands were the only way to use magic. They created spells and conducted research into the nature of magic trying to understand it. But magic is formless until given purpose by its user, and cannot be understood. Over time, only a select few remained who remembered the original purpose of wands, and were able to do magic without the use of a wand.

These people who were able to do magic without the use of a wand were referred to as the Wandless. They were generally a lot more powerful than Wizards who relied on wands, but they only touched the tip of the iceberg of what magic was capable of doing because, over time, they began to rely on the use of spells to work magic, they were just able to cast those spells without the use of a wand. Because of the amount of magical knowledge that was lost, the Wandless Wizards, though incredibly powerful, were ultimately unaware of what their own potential was. Rather than allow the magic to grow and adapt to the personality of the user, they tried to force the magic into certain paths through spells. Certain spells were certainly useful, but those who were able to use just the force of their own willpower were able to become so much more powerful. That is how the Ancient Wizards worked, and why they were so powerful. They let the magic work with them, rather than trying to control it through spells.

Eventually, around a thousand years ago, a group of Wandless Wizards banded together to learn more about magic and to make themselves more powerful. They referred to themselves as Mages, and they were much more powerful than any of the Wanded Wizards of their day, as well as any Wizard alive now. But, as powerful as they were, they were still only touching the tip of the iceberg. Each of the Mages decided to strive for complete mastery of one chosen field of magic. They generally chose specific skills to focus on, such as control of the elements (fire, wind, water, or earth), ability to use telepathy, or the ability to summon great skills and warriors, etc.

Even though they became incredibly powerful in their respective elements, the fact that they confined themselves to one area of study ultimately limited the power that they had. With training, the power and mastery that they were able to obtain made them incredibly respected in the magical community. Their advice and teachings were continually sought, and they used these teaching opportunities to further their research into magic even more.

Over time, however, more and more people decided to use wands and staffs, as it was easier to do magic with these tools than without. Despite people choosing to use wands and staffs, they still desired the same level of power as the Mages. Rather than admit their own shortcomings for being unable to use Wandless Magic, they chose, instead, to blame the Mages of withholding the teachings of higher level magics because of greed. They claimed that the Mages were greedy of their power and so refused to teach the more powerful magics to others to avoid competition. In response to these accusations, and upon realizing that their teachings were being followed less and less as people grew more hostile about not being given a shortcut to immense power, the Mages made a decision to leave. Over time they disappeared completely, leaving no clue as to where they had gone.

Now, after nearly a thousand years, magic was finally being given the chance to transform itself once again to meet the needs of the magic users, and young Harry Potter was one of these people. Within the past few hundred years or so, there had only been perhaps a few thousand known people, worldwide, who had been powerful enough for the magic to change itself to meet their needs. However, over the past thirty years the magic had been slowly growing, finding more people with the potential to use it correctly, and with Harry it seemed another person was going to go back to the old way of using magic. The original way; without the use of wands and spells that people used nowadays.

When Harry made his first conscious Jump, it started a chain of events that no one saw coming. Events would soon change the world as people knew it, by creating a new world order - a new dark age.

_**o0OoO0o**_

Harry was unaware, but even before he made his first conscious Jump he was being watched. Actually, it was because he Apparated onto the roof of the school that he was being watched. The person who was watching him was known as Mystic Knight Erebus, a twenty-three-year-old Mystic, who had earned this title because of his ability to control shadows to fit his needs.

Mystic Knight Erebus was a Mystic, who was able to use magic without the use of a wand. When he was a young man, right around Harry's age in fact, his magic transformed itself to give him the ability to manipulate shadows, a power that was incredibly rare, and even harder to control. This power gave him the ability to hide himself in shadows, to the point of being invisible. He was also able to travel through shadow, step into the shadow of one building, and out of the shadow of a tree some distance away. These are just a couple of the things Erebus was able to do with his control of shadow, but it was his ability to move unseen that explains his presence at Harry's school on this day.

Mystic Knight Erebus was not at the school looking for Harry, but for someone else entirely. He was searching for another Mystic. From the reports he had been given, this unknown Mystic was able to control the Earth around him. This classified him as an Elemental Mystic, or more specifically, an Earth Mystic.

All that was known about this Earth Mystic was that they were in their pre-teens, were living or hiding somewhere in Surrey, and were misusing their powers. The reason behind the misuse wasn't clear. It could be because they felt they had no other option to defend themselves from something, they weren't sure how to control their power and it was getting away from them, or if they were doing it because they thought it fun and believed that there was no one around who could stop them. It was actually for this purpose that Mystic Knight Erebus had been dispatched. His instructions were to find this Mystic and determine their reasons for their blatant misuse of magic.

As Erebus was looking for the Earth Mystic, he happened to be passing by St. Gregory's Primary School when he heard several voices shouting from around the school grounds. Thinking it could have something to do with the Earth Mystic, he decided to investigate. Since he did not wish to be seen, the shadow manipulator wrapped himself in shadows and set off to discover the source or the noise.

When he arrived on the scene, he saw five children chasing after a lone child with unruly black hair and glasses. Instantly recognizing what was going on, Erebus cursed his standing orders to not interfere with non-magical affairs except to save a life.

Having had some experience with bullies in his own past, Erebus had no desire to watch what would happen to the young boy since he had now been cornered in a narrow passage between two buildings. He actually started to leave to continue his search for the Earth Mystics when he felt wild magic coming from the boy. Someone who has been well trained, like Mystic Erebus, leaves very little evidence behind when they used magic. An untrained person, however, left a lot of magical energy behind whenever they use their magic.

With training, you could track someone by the magical signature they left behind. That was actually how Erebus hoped to find the Earth Mystic, by finding some evidence of their magic, then following it to its source. Erebus was unaware of any other Mystics in the area, but this boy was throwing off a huge amount of energy. Because of this, Erebus fell back on another standing order from his superiors; namely, should they happen to discover a young magic user, they were meant to bring them to headquarters to see if they had the potential to become a Mystic.

Erebus thought back on his own early years as he watched the black haired boy use accidental magic to Apparate away from the boys chasing him. From his vantage point hiding in a nearby shadow, Erebus was able to see when Harry appeared on the roof of the kitchen. When he saw Harry reappear, Erebus decided to move to a closer shadow so that he could hear what the boy was saying - he could see that he was speaking, but couldn't hear the words - and maybe even introduce himself.

When he moved closer, however, it appeared as though the boy was talking to himself, except that he seemed to be having a conversation and Erebus could only hear one side of it. As he listened more, it became apparent that the boy was talking to an imaginary friend.

Just as Erebus was about to come out of the shadows to talk to the young boy, he felt a surge in magical energy right before the boy stepped to the edge of the roof, and disappeared. At first glance, Erebus thought that the boy had Apparated. Upon closer inspection, however, Erebus noticed a strange amount of magical energy floating in the air where the boy had stood a moment before. There was no doubt in Erebus's mind. This kid could easily become a Mystic with a little training.

As soon as he realized this, the Shadow Mystic removed a small orb from his pocket. He cleared his throat before speaking, "Headquarters, this is Mystic Erebus, come in."

"Mystic Knight Erebus. Report," the image of a lady in her mid-twenties appeared on the surface of the orb to match the voice he heard. "Have you found the Earth Mystic already?"

"No, not yet Mystic Ruby. I'm still searching the area." replied Erebus.

"Then why are you calling?" queried Mystic Ruby.

"I believe I have found another candidate for Mystic training."

"Oh really?" Mystic Ruby perked up considerably at this news. Mystics were incredibly rare; the chances of just stumbling upon a new Mystic were astronomical. "Any idea what powers this new Mystic might have?"

"No. From what I've seen and heard, he has just realized he has magic" explained the Shadow Manipulator.

"Do you still have eyes on him?"

"No, he just Apparated away." Erebus replied before going on to give a full report of what he had seen and heard.

As he finished his report, Erebus noticed that Ruby looked worried. "Mystic Ruby, what's wrong?"

"I can't say for sure without seeing it for myself, but from what you said I don't believe that the child Apparated. I believe he accomplished something called Jumping. That shouldn't be possible," Ruby replied worriedly. "Jumping is a skill from a movie that isn't supposed to come out until next year."

"What do you mean, Mystic Ruby?"

"There's a film coming out next year called Jumper," Ruby explained.

She gave a short synopsis of the plot of the film. The Paladins from the movie reminded Erebus quite a bit of a similar group by the same name that was constantly at war with the magical community. They were religious extremists who believed that only God should have the powers of magic, and dedicated their life to hunting down anyone who blasphemed against God by practicing the evil art of magic. Erebus wondered to himself if the person who wrote the book and allowed it to be made into a movie was somehow associated with the real Paladins.

Erebus was pulled from his introspection as Ruby continued, "Once the film comes out, we're expecting quite a few people in the magical community to try to learn this skill. When we heard about the film we had some of our non-magical contacts put the film on hold for a short time, while we experimented to see if it was a skill that was possible to learn."

"Well, obviously it is possible, since I just saw a child do it." Erebus replied, not really understanding what the problem was.

"That's part of what's troubling me. It took quite some time for us, and out of the two hundred Mystics who attempted to learn this skill, only approximately fifty have succeeded," Ruby explained. "We still aren't sure why only those fifty could learn it when others couldn't, since it doesn't take much power. It does, however, require a lot more control and concentration than regular Apparition. So, for a child to have the control and concentration necessary to learn such a tricky is quite amazing."

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand your worry, Mystic Ruby," Erebus said. "According to you it is harder to learn, and master, than Apparition and only one quarter of the Mystics who tried to learn it were able to. I agree that it's impressive that this child can do it, but I don't understand your concern."

"The problem, Mystic Erebus," Ruby began, "is that, so far, we are unable to ward against it. Jumping seems to be an entirely new kind of teleportation skill that somehow bypasses the wards and barriers that stop normal Apparition."

"Ok. Now your worry makes sense," Erebus replied. Luckily they still had some time to learn a counter to this new magic since the movie wasn't due out until next year, but it was still alarming and could easily become a problem. The magical community had criminals just like any other, and the thought of criminal wizards getting their hands on a new type of teleportation magic that couldn't be stopped worried the Mystic Knight greatly.

"Any ideas yet?" Erebus asked hopefully.

"Not really, no," Mystic Ruby said with a sigh. "So far the only preventative measure we've been able to come up with is, like in the movie, shock the person with a high voltage charge. We've had success with charges between 200 Volts and 340 Volts stopping Jumping; of course that level of electricity is enough to kill a non-magical human, so it's not hard to imagine it incapacitating a magical one. With that much electricity running through their body, even our strongest Mystics were incapable of casting any spells. The only exception, of course, was Mystic Knight Laxus, since lightning is his element and electrocuting him is completely useless. But aside from him, pretty much the only defence against Jumping we have so far is to make the user unable to cast any magic. If we can contain them, then we are able to put the magical bands on them which prevent them from doing anything."

"So, in light of this, any new orders for me?" Mystic Erebus asked.

"No. This new child you found hasn't done anything yet. Our first priority is to find the Earth Mystic. Whoever it is has been causing us too much trouble forcing us to cover up for him/her. We need you to track them down and try to make them realize what they are doing wrong. We work too hard at keeping our existence a secret to be outed by some preteen punk." Mystic Ruby responded, her voice growing stronger as she got back on familiar ground. "But, I do want you to keep your eyes and ears open for any new information about this new young magic user that you can find. I need to find out how a child was able to get his hands on a movie that wasn't supposed to be out until next year. We need to know if this was an isolated incident, or if we are going to have to worry about Jumping before any of us are ready for it. Good hunting Knight Mystic Erebus…"

"Oh! I almost forgot," Mystic Ruby exclaimed right as she was about to end the magical communication. "Make sure to be extra careful around this new magical child if he really does have an imaginary friend."

"Seriously Mystic Ruby? Why should I be afraid of an imaginary friend?" Erebus asked, wondering what possible harm a young boy's imagination could cause.

"Unlike a normal imaginary friend from a non-magical, an imaginary friend that has been created by a magical person, especially one strong enough to have Mystic Potential, is quite different," explained Ruby. "The magic makes the imaginary friend almost a completely separate entity. They can see things that their creator cannot, they are capable of independent thought, and if the creator is strong enough, some are even capable of using magic to defend their creator. So just be careful when following this new candidate. It might be quite difficult to make a good first impression if his imaginary friend spots you following them."

"Understood, Mystic Ruby. I'll make sure that the kid never sees me, until I'm ready to make first contact. Good day. Mystic Knight Erebus signing off," said Mystic Erebus. He was amazed at the new things he learned every day. Imagine, an invisible, imaginary friend that could do all of those things. After a few moments, Erebus slipped the now blank orb back into his pocket. He decided that, since he was already at the school, he might as well look around. With a practiced move that only hinted at the thousands of times he had done it, Erebus wrapped the nearby shadows around himself and slipped into the school to look for the school records of the amazing child he had seen.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the first part of the Sage, Harry's Childhood, I thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. As you might have spotted, I made a _small _mention about Fairy Tail in sorts in this chapter, easy to miss if you're not looking as I didn't mention the world in words, but it is there along with an item that Erebus used.

There'll be several chapters in this saga before I get the Year Saga starts. In Harry's Childhood Sage, I'll be showing you his childhood in more detail, and showing you how he became the way he was. During this time, I'll be making him a bit more powerful than the wand users. If you're worried he'll be super powerful and no one will be able to fight him, don't be, as you'll see in the next chapter, there'll be people who are like him and at this time of the story more powerful than Harry.

So you know I wasn't planning to update until Wednesday, but I have a few questions for you all, and they'll effect my work and the update speed to a few chapters:

1) As many of you know, I was crossing this story with Overlord, Fairy Tail and Charmed, and whilst I'm keeping Overlord and Fairy Tail, I was wondering about your thoughts about Charmed. Should I keep the plot of the show in the story, should I make the sisters as Mystics instead of Wiccans, or leave the sisters out of it all together?

2) How long do you like the chapters to be? This is the main thing that effect the story, as I was thinking of doing no more than 10,000 words (before A/Ns) - but that all depends if I was able to find a good cut of point. But if you want longer chapters then 10,000 words I can do it, but the update well take a bit longer. So do you want a chapter to be around 10,000 words or do you want them to be longer?

3) Last question, and this won't affect the story until around late second year, to third year, but I had a review that got me thinking:

\- Harry's friendship group.

This is an area where it is mainly extra fluff, but Harry's friends seem almost too understanding and unified. Remembering the previous write, the only major conflict I remember was Blaise distancing himself, which was wrapped up without much focus. Especially as the group gets older, it's a group of hormonal teens, and that is a hotbed for conflict. I'm not asking for them to all fall out and tear each other apart every ten chapters, but little disagreements between members would be an added realism factor, and would allow Harry to cement his leadership role by ending the conflict.

So I was wondering what kind of conflicts could appear in the story, and how should I have Harry end the conflict? Not only that if you remember the conflict with Blaise distancing himself, which at this point I can't until I get to that point, is there a better way I could have done it and if so what should it be?

Once again I would like to thank you for reading this story, and I am once again sorry for reworking the story. But I hope that by showing you what happened in Harry's childhood, instead of telling you, I made the story better. And I hope you like the new elements of the story too, new powers will be seen soon. So I hope you spare a few more moments and let me know what you think of this, and tell me if there is anything I could do to make the last version better.

**Next Chapter: **In the next chapter it'll not be the next part of this saga, but the first interlude in this story. There'll be a few of these here and there in the story, the first will be The Mystics. This one explains about how the Mystics came about, and depending how you answer question 2, well be either in one or three parts.


	3. Chapter 2 - Harry's Childhood - Part 2!

_**Author's Note:**_ Before we start I would like to apologize once again for the rework of this story, but as you'll see in this chapter, you'll agree it is a good thing. In the other versions I had left out two important parts to the story, details on his training as a child, whilst not too important to some, it could be better and show what he had to go through. However though, I did miss one most importantly out of the other versions, the details of his descent into darkness.

We see that he was a 'Bad Boy' before Hogwarts doing bad things, but yet I never really showed why he was like that, just that he was. It was never explained how or why he was like that properly, this in my opinion left out a lot of character building in Harry. So in this chapter, apart for doing some more detail on his training, and changing and adding a few things, I'll be showing you his descent into darkness - hence the title. I hope you like what I have planned.

Not only this, but I also found a plot hole in the last versions, if Harry had the power of fire, or any ability to be able to fight with, wouldn't he use that to gain something from his so called family? So in this chapter we see that coming to be.

I want to thank all those who sent me the files of Rise of Dark Lord Vulcan, I was worried that I lost the story forever. I now can use the details from that without rewriting it again.

I'm sorry about the last chapter, I've been told that I often put too much information at once, and at times that information was too soon, and Harry could have learnt it over time. And after thinking about it, I've decided to remove the Interlude, and allow Harry learn about them in time, and add this chapter. But instead going to add the information to the side-story I'm planning to do, which I hope will connect Harry Potter and Fairy Tail Worlds together.

_**Chapter Two…**_

_**Harry's Childhood - Part 2!**_

_**(Descent into Darkness!)**_

_31st of July 2007 - Abandoned Warehouse London._

It has been a few months since Harry learnt about his ability to magic and able 'Jump' to place to place, in which change his life and got him thinking about his life so far. For the first time in his life, when he wasn't with his so called family, he showed how smart and mature he was.

As he learnt about being magical, he begun to wonder about his parents, were they magical too. It would explain the hate his Aunt and Uncle had for them, making things up about them, drunks and his mother being a whore. They were jealous that his parents had magical powers and not them. But if he was right, he and Lucy begun to wonder how they really dead, if they really were magical, Harry and Lucy couldn't see them dying in a car crash as their so called Aunt and Uncle told Harry. They knew that neither Petunia nor Vernon would never tell Harry the truth though.

As they thought about this, another question came to them, why was Harry left with them. They suspected that the Harry's parents would have known how Petunia and Vernon felt about magic, and so they wouldn't have wanted their son to stay with them. So the question was, did they die suddenly and that they didn't have a plan set out for something like this, and so seeing that Petunia was Harry's mother sister, he was sent to his Aunt. Or was there something more sinister happened, and his parents did have a plan set up should something happen to them, but yet someone had disregarded their wants and placed Harry with Petunia and Vernon anyway. This time they had no idea as to who they could ask about this.

Another question was why did Petunia and Vernon keep Harry around, they sure as hell don't love him, so why not send him to an orphanage like Uncle Vernon often threaten him with. Were they getting paid to look after him, and if so, oh Harry had no words for what he felt about the idea, all the time the punished him for spending money on him. But were they being threatened, and watched so that they couldn't send Harry away as they liked. If so, this piss Harry off more than his family being paid to look after him, as it meant that whoever was watching them knew how they treated him and they done nothing to stop it. Although both Lucy and Harry suspected it could be both, but once again they knew that neither Petunia nor Vernon would never tell Harry the truth though about this.

There were many other question that they thought up over the months, like if there were others like Harry, where were they and how could Harry find them? Other than that, Harry spent most of the past months mastering how to Jump. As Lucy pointed out, if there were others like him, they could possibly be able to Jump too and Harry would need to be able to Jump faster than them. At the start of it all Harry needed a few seconds before he could Jump, no more than six or seven seconds, but Lucy knew that Harry would need to be able to Jump in a split second should he need to escape quickly and so he would need to master this skill fast. Over the last few months though, Harry was able to master to Jump so that he could do so in four seconds. Sure it was faster than at the start, but still not fast enough for Harry and Lucy, they wanted it so that Harry could Jump within a second, two at the max.

As far as the distance he could Jump, he could go anywhere in England as long as he had a clear picture of where he wants to go. He didn't have the power to go further out of the county, but he suspected it was only because he young and over time as he became stronger he would be able to Jump as far as he wanted.

Jumping faster wasn't the only thing the two of them wanted Harry to learn, if there were others who could Jump, they wanted Harry able to see the rifts in time and space before the person appear, so Harry could Jump beforehand. It took a few months, but in the last few weeks Harry was able to see the tear in the rift that was made before he Jumped. However, not knowing anyone else who could Jump, Harry and Lucy wasn't sure if he would be able to see other people's rifts.

Now the tear in his rift worried both Harry and Lucy, if there were others who could Jump, and they were like in the movie, than they could use Harry's own rifts to follow him. So Lucy came up with the idea of Harry learning how to seal his tear in time and space. This was something that Harry only started to learn, as he was only able to see his tear in the last few weeks. As far as they knew, once he was able to see his tear, it took a good five to ten minutes for the tear to close by itself. At this time though, Harry had been unable to make any progress in being able to seal his rift tear, but he wasn't disheartened as he knew that he only begun to try. It might take a while, but both he and Lucy knew that in time Harry would be able to do it.

They knew that as long as Harry believed he could do it, and concentrate hard enough to do it, that in time Harry could do anything. The only thing that was holding back to do much was his age, seeing he was young they believed that there was so much magic a young boy like Harry could do at the moment. The other thing that was holding him back was lack of knowledge, knowledge on how to do the skills Harry wanted to do. So far all their work was guess work, they had no idea what they were doing, but thought that if they had knowledge on how things meant to happen, things would have been much faster for them.

Now mastering how to Jump wasn't the only thing that Harry was learning over the last few months, he was also trying a few easy, in his mind was easy, things he could do with magic: summoning, levitating, banishing and repairing. Summoning and repairing things as just a basic things to get on in life with, Harry knew that if he wanted more food, without money he would have to steal it from people. So he thought that being able to summon things, he could summon food from the shops, and other places without being caught. As for repairing things, he knew that he might have to break into places to get some food if he couldn't get out of his so called home until late, and so wanted to repair any damage he might do.

As for levitating and banishing, that was for his own defence, he knew that if he meet anyone with magical powers he would be useless, but for non-magical, these two spells would come in handy as he could levitate a person in the air and escape. Or if they got in too close before he could levitate in the air, he could banish a person away from him into some rubbish and make a run, or banish and then levitate a person in the air. Whatever the case, these two skill would do for now to defend himself, until he could learn more.

Learning these four skills took until end of May to learn, as they didn't seem too hard to learn, they had the basic idea what was needed and all Harry needed was to concentrate. It took a few trial and errors, but Harry was able to master the basics of these skills. All he was doing now was refining the skills so he could make them more powers, so he could summon or banish things further, levitate things higher or repair things faster or better if it was something hard for him to repair.

All in all it was fun for the two of them, Harry enjoyed watching Lucy summoning, levitating, banishing and repairing imaginary things. Harry liked the idea of his sister learning the same things as him, it was a shame she couldn't Jump like him though. Although she had the knowledge, so if she was real Harry thought it was possible for her to be able to Jump like him. It was strange though, when his sister banish things into him, Harry could feel items as they hit him. Harry had to wonder if his magic allowed him to feel Lucy and what she did to him, but as Harry thought about it he didn't really mind. If it was his magic that allowed him to feel Lucy, than he was thankful for having magic and without Lucy he would not feel a gentle touch of a human being.

Either way, it was now Tuesday 31st of July, his birthday, for the first time since he realize when it was, he was happy. He was away from his so called family, it was a gift from them to him, as long as he keep to himself they didn't care what he did. So here he was in an Abandoned Warehouse that he found in London, practicing what he could do so he could do it better.

The reason he was in London and not somewhere close to where he lived, was because over the last few months he and Lucy, Lucy first, found that Harry was being followed. Even when he was Jumping about, the same people on those connected to them would be able to find him. The two of them didn't know how they were able to find him, nor why, maybe they were the same as him and able to do things like he could. It would explain how they were able to find him, and able to follow him.

Sure Harry could talk to them, but as Lucy pointed out, they didn't know if they were friend or foe and so it was better to keep to themselves. At least until they had no other choice but hear them out, and if they didn't like what they hear they can do the hide and seek game again, but this time make it even harder.

Now it was afternoon and Harry was banishing small objects into a wall as fast and hard as he could, making it so he could use items as weapons so he need to defend himself, Lucy appeared as she said, "You're getting better at this brother."

"Thank sister," Harry said with a smile, never getting enough of saying sister, "you're part of the reason I'm getting better. Not only with your ideas on how to get better, but I don't want to let you down."

"You could never let me down, as I'm not real" said Lucy, who wanted to build up Harry's confidence in himself, in which Harry muttered to himself, 'you are to me.' Knowing that Harry wouldn't hear it any other way just yet, Lucy went on to say, "So Harry have you thought about what power you want to learn next, it has been a while since we thought up a new skill for you to learn. How about some wings so that we can fly?"

"The idea to fly sounds like a good idea Lucy," Harry admitted to his sister with a warm smile, "but to have wings I'm not too sure about. What if I'm able to summon wings, but permanently keep them unable to unsummon them, it would make me stand out more and more of a freak."

Lucy admit that could be a problem, and thought of that already, but she knew that it wouldn't make Harry nor her any more of a freak, just more special. But she knew that whilst she would think that, Harry wouldn't, he still thinks like his family beat into him that being different was a bad thing. He not long got over the fact that being able to do magic wasn't a bad thing, and didn't made him a freak. Not it would take some time before Harry realized that looking different wasn't a bad thing, people might look at him differently but he wouldn't be a freak.

She had some work to do before that happens, for now though she had to make Harry more powerful confident in himself. So changing tactics a bit, she asked, "So have you thought about what power you want to learn?"

"I have in fact, I got the idea from watching Fantastic Four," Harry explained with a smile as he thought about the power, "I would like to learn to control fire, and see what I could do with it."

Lucy smiled at the thought, she knew that he would do that for being part of him, and thought the idea had merit. Surprisingly enough, whilst she was part of Harry, she found that she wasn't into fire that much as Harry was. But still, with the idea there, she might be able to help Harry become strong and powerful. She knew what he had planned, but it wasn't something she agreed with, not only because she had her own feelings and thoughts, but also deep, deep within Harry he didn't either. But that part of him was buried underneath what other people thought was right and wrong, and forcing it onto Harry, no she was going to try and change the plan a bit, so that Harry looked out for one thing: Himself!

So with a smile she asked knowing the answer already, "That is a great idea Harry, but tell me, what are you planning to use this new power for once you mastered it?"

"To defend other like me," Harry admitted honestly, he didn't like the idea of people being abused by people, especially when the abuse is coming from people that meant to be someone meant to protect you, "I would use the power like the Human Torch does in Fantastic Four, use my powers to protect people, especially protect those from people who meant to protect us but don't."

"So basically you want to be a hero." Lucy scoffed in disbelief at the thought.

"And what's wrong at being a hero?" Harry asked confused, wondering what his sister was getting at.

"Sure you have people respect you, and all that, but it isn't all it cut out to be." Harry's imaginary sister explained, "One moment you're a hero, everyone likes, treating you like a hero, but should you make a mistake, so something wrong just once or do something that people didn't like, they would turn on you in a heartbeat. Not only that, but you would sacrifice everything and I would mean everything important in your life, namely your happiness. Name me one hero that we have read about in the comics that had a good life because he became a hero."

As Harry thought about it, he couldn't not think of a hero who had a good life. Since Lucy came into his life, they had read comics at the local library and sneak into the cinema to watch movies, mainly ones where the character had superpowers. Most of them of them had a dark and unwanted lives, sacrificing their happiness so that others would be safe.

"You can't can you dear brother, you can't think of one hero that had a good life," said Lucy as Harry was thinking about it, "yes at the end of the movie most would get a happy ending. But in real life we both know that wouldn't happen."

Harry sighed deeply at this, as much as he hated to admit it his sister was right, a hero's life wasn't a good one, it would mean giving up a lot, and not getting much in return. So realizing this he asked, "Then what would you have me do Lucy? Become a villain or something?"

"Exactly Harry, become a super villain," Lucy said with the biggest smile Harry had seen on her since she came into his life. "Whilst you'll have to hide who you are so that no one can catch you and send you to jail, you won't have to sacrifice anything you don't want to. All you'll have to do is think about what you want, and no one else. Why be a hero to a world that left you to be treated like slave, and not help you when you ask for help - I say let the world burn all I care."

"I'll need to think about it." Harry admitted with a sigh, he could see his sister point, why be a hero to a world that left him to be treated so badly and not help when he cried out for it. But at the same time, there was still a part of him who wanted to be a hero so that no one else would be treated like he did, if no other reason than that.

"I understand Harry," Lucy said with a smile, knowing that the seeds were now planted and all she had to was water them and wait for them to grow, "but whilst we're learning how to use and master fire, would I suggest something else." Seeing a nod from her brother, he went on to say, "Should you decide to become a super villain, I would suggest trying to become like Ghost Rider, make your fire into hell-fire and try and some other demonic powers."

"Oh and why is that sis?" asked Harry, wondering what his sister was thinking.

"Whilst the Ghost Rider was a hero by the end of the film and in the comics, it is only because who his host was that made him a hero." Lucy begun to explain, "If it wasn't for that fact, he would be just as evil as the devil. And I would like to see if you can get some of the powers as Ghost Rider, changing his looks, and making his weapons on fire was so cool. And if you become a super villain it would be good look something like him, as no one would know what you look like, and his clothes made him look cool. And having hell-fire would make so much better power for a super villain than normal fire, and we can find what hell-fire powers there is on the net."

Harry had to admit, looking like the Ghost Rider as a super villain would be useful, not only would people not know who he was, but also the fear. Lucy was right, for a super villain hell-fire would be better that normal, and he did like the powers that he saw in the movie, it would be cool to see if he would be able to copy them. But one thing confused him, and so he asked, "And what about trying to learn demonic powers?"

"Well the Ghost Rider was demonic Harry, and I felt a bit disappointed that he didn't have more demonic powers." Lucy explained her feeling about it. "I'm not saying it'll be possible, but it would be cool if we could try and see if you could do some of the powers. It would also make you more fearful if you ever become a super villain."

Harry had to admit yet again that Lucy's idea had merit, even if he didn't become a super villain, having demonic powers could be very useful once they look up on the net what kind of things he could do. So hunch Harry with the help of Lucy, begun to see how Harry could summon and control fire.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_25th of December 2007 - Dursley's Household!_

It has been a few months since Harry started to learn to control fire, and of yet he had gotten no way with it - which didn't surprise him nor Lucy. They had no idea what they were doing, no real knowledge on how to summon or control fire the way they wanted, what they got from the comics was very vague, most got their powers from cosmic or magical accidents, where they then learn how to control it. Both Harry and Lucy wished that they had some kind of in instructions how to summon fire in the first place.

He first tried to control fire that came from lighting matches or lighters, or flames coming from things like candles or the flames from the gas cooker, but to no avail. He had even tried to use will power, forcing the fire out of him, but again to no avail. Once he tried to put his hand near the flames to see if anything would happen, all that was achieved was him getting burnt or nearly burnt for his foolish actions. The thing though was that he could sense something, like he had the ability, but yet something was blocking him or was locked - waiting for something to unlock his power.

Either way, it was Christmas morning and Harry was in the kitchen getting dinner ready for the slobs that were his family. The Dursleys were out for the morning, visiting a few friends of theirs. Harry hated this time of the year, as he would get nothing not even Christmas Dinner, which for a second year running, not even getting any gifts. In fact, any difference than the other years, is that this year he had Lucy.

Over the last few months, things have gotten somewhat better for him. Although he wasn't getting anywhere with his magical summon as he would have liked, he was getting better with his other skills. He was able to summon things up to a few meters further than he used to, and for banishing he was able to do so faster, and in doing so making it go further. As for levitating, he was able to levitate objects ten feet higher than before, and now was able to levitate himself off the ground a few feet. Not what he was hoping for, but still it was a good start. For repairing, he found that as long he had a good understanding as to what it should look like when the item he was fixing meant to look like and how it meant to work, he could fix anything, and so he was reading up everything he could on electricity so he had a much better understanding.

The last few months wasn't all fun and game you could say, apart for learning to control his magic better and trying to summon and/or control fire, he was trying to keep himself hidden. He wasn't sure who it was, but he was still being followed and it was getting harder to keep a step ahead of them. It seemed that they really wanted to talk to him, but yet Harry wasn't sure what their intentions were, and until he could defend himself well enough to be able to escape should things go wrong, he didn't want anything to do with them.

The only time he wasn't being followed, was when he was within a mile radius of the Dursleys, he wasn't sure why that was though. It was strange, it was like something was stopping them from coming in, or they were afraid of something. Normally that would be a good thing, as he could practice somewhere within this mile radius, but it wasn't that easy. Whatever got these people worried, got Harry worried too, as he felt that as he was in this mile radius, he was being was being was being watched by someone close, but by someone who was better at hiding themselves or had other ways to be able to watch him.

Whatever the case was, it was getting harder for Harry to practice his magical powers, if it wasn't like he was being watched around where he lived, he was being tracked by someone who was getting closer and closer in finding him. He was lucky so far, the fact that he was easy enough to Jump away as soon as they appeared, or in some cases see the tears of someone Jumping helped a lot - but it was getting annoying to do so. He had to find a new place to train every so often.

Anyway, Harry was so deep in thought about the past few months, as he was walking down the hallway to go to the living room to clean it up before the Dursleys returned, when he knocked over a vase. "Blast it." caused Harry as he saw it was one of his Aunt Petunia's favourites. Harry sighed with a smile, he was glad that he had magical powers and able to repair things or he would be in deep shit when the Dursleys returned.

However though luck wasn't on his side that day, as the moment he begun to repair the vase, Dursleys returned at that same moment. The moment that Vernon entered the house and saw what Harry was doing, that's when he saw red, and started to shout out things like, 'I'll not have a freak in my house,' and 'I'll beat the freakness out of you,' among other things as he took his belt off and begun to hit Harry.

As Vernon was doing this something within Harry snapped and on the sixth leashing, where he grabbed the belt and it burst into flames. Seeing this Vernon moved but tripped over something, making him land on his ass. This is how his wife and son saw him, angry but yet fearful. It didn't take them long to see why Vernon was like this, as standing in front of their husband/father was the Freak with flames surrounding his arm. Seeing this also made them fearful too, especially with how he said darkly, "I've had enough of being yours and your son's punching bag Uncle Vernon. You and your family hate me only because I can do something you can't, and I hate how you treat me, your own family member. But until I'm old enough to move out there's not much we can do about it, so from this day forth we stay out of each other's way."

"Who do you think you're talking to you bloody Freak?" asked Vernon, only to pale as a fireball just missed his head.

"No do _you _know who you're talking to," Harry said as another flame ball formed in his hand, "I'm the one with the power right now. I very doubt you'll tell me where I got this power without insulting me or my family, so let's leave it to the fact that I have powers that no doubt come from my parents and this is the reason you hate us."

"Why you little shit." Petunia begun, but only to have a fireball been thrown at her.

"Did I say you could talk aunt?" Harry asked in a sneer, as Dudley hid behind his mum in fear at what his cousin might do to him. "As I was going to say, you hate me and I hate you, seeing that there's nothing we can do about this, I say we leave each other alone. I keep to myself, and you only see me when I have no other choice, I'll do no more chores either. I even stay in the cupboard, although things would be better if I had either the spare bedroom or Dudley's second bedroom - although I would prefer the spare bedroom seeing it is bigger."

Vernon and Petunia looked like they wanted to say something, even Dudley looked like he wanted to too, but with a fireball in Harry's hand they were too afraid to say anything. Seeing this, Harry said with smirk, "I'm going for a walk to calm down, we all not in the right mind to say anything, and who knows what might happen if you upset me. When I get back I hope you make the choice about the rooming, as you don't know what else I could do." And with that Harry left the house before anything could be said or done to make things worse.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the second part of the Saga, Harry's Childhood, I thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. I hope that I showed Harry's slow descent into darkness nicely, and how I handled the plot hole with the Dursleys. I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters. Sorry if you didn't like the Interlude, but I wanted to explain who they were, and how they came to be.

I would like to say that after some thought, I've decided that I'll won't be adding Charmed as part of the story, as one person pointed out already: I've already put two crossovers already into the story, with a big plot idea with the Mystics too. So it would be too much work for me. I may still use the sisters, but I won't be having them as the Charmed Ones but as Mystics who gets the ideas from the show, and have the same names. :P Let me know what you think of the idea.

**Next Chapter:** In the next instalment of Harry's Childhood Sage, we'll see the Earth Mystic that the Mystic Knights were looking for. We also see a group of Witch Hunters known as Paladins and Sentinels, who go after Magic Users.


	4. Chapter 3 - Harry's Childhood - Part 3

_**Chapter Three…**_

_**Harry's Childhood - Part 3!**_

_**(The Earth Mystic!)**_

_25th of December 2007:_

It was a few minutes after Harry left the Dursleys, and he was slowly calming down from his anger and surprise. After months of trying to learn and summon flames, or control existing flames, and getting nothing in return, it took a beating that could have ended his life to summon the fire he wanted. But at the same time he cursed himself for not being more careful, sure he wasn't sure when the Dursleys would have returned, but doing magic in the open where they could have seen it should they return sooner - that was foolish on his part.

'_What's done is done,' _Harry thought to himself as he walked down the street, _'there's nothing I can do about it now. Hopefully thanks to this I can get a better room out of this. If not? I could keep the threat and bash them into the walls until I get the new room, or I could threw a few new fireballs at them.' _As he was thinking this, he had turned down an alleyway, where he tried and summon the flames to see if he was able to do so again - to make sure he can make that threat stick. Harry remembered what he felt when the fire first appeared, and after a few tries, he was able to summon the flames around his hands, where he smiled.

Harry's smile turned into a smirk as he thought about using his magic against his family, a few months ago he wouldn't have considered this, but now he was, and it was thanks to Lucy.

Over the last few months since she told him that he should become a supervillain, the two of them had been talking about it, and slowly Harry was actually considering it. Oh don't get him wrong, part of him still want to be a hero, but slowly but surely the darkness within Harry's heart - thanks to how people had treated him - the small light that was within him was fighting a losing battle.

Whilst Harry didn't know this, he still had conflated thoughts about this. It didn't help that he listened to his sister and do a few small crimes here and there, other than stealing food and drink, like stealing money from people, and other small crimes. The problem was that he enjoyed the thrill, doing something bad and getting away with it. Part of knew that he shouldn't, but he couldn't help to feel this way. However though, because of his conflated thoughts at the moment, anything of worth that he stole, he give to the homeless so they could use it to get some food and a roof over their head for a night - this really annoyed his sister that it made him chuckled.

Now as Harry was thinking about the last few nights, Lucy appeared next to him. As she appeared she saw the flames around Harry's hand, which made her very happy, this was the first step in getting Harry to learn hell-fire and demonic powers. She knew it would be a while before it would get together, but in time she believed it would happen. With a smile she said, "Harry you learnt to summon your flames, how and when did this happen?"

"Hey Lucy." Harry greeted with a smile, it is strange that Lucy at times would know what happened and at others she didn't. He didn't know if it was to make it so that she didn't come across as a know it all, or for some reason she didn't know what was going on. Whatever the case, it just made Lucy even more interesting and unsuspecting as he would never know what she would do or say next, nor what she knew. "Just got the flames not long ago, strangely I have to thank Uncle Vernon for it. I was careless, I was repairing Aunt Petunia's favourite vase that I broke by accident, when my so called Uncle spotted me and he lost it and begun to beat me. As he was beating me something snap within me and the flames came forth."

"The fucking asshole." Lucy said darkly, as Harry went red in hearing that. Sure he knew the words, and barely understand what they meant, but his sister would use them most of the time when she was upset or angry - he only used them a few time and only when he was really angry unlike Lucy. "But I have to agree though, although he is a fat asshole, I too would have to thank him for allowing whatever was blocking you to break and allow you to summon the flames. Now we only have to teach you how to control them. Not only that but see if you can learn another element, if possible the element Earth?"

"Whilst I'm not against the idea, why would you suggest learning to control Earth?" Harry asked curiously, "I could be learning other things too, and I still have to see if I can learn demonic powers too."

"You still can brother," Lucy began to explain, "but should you use your fire skills as a hero or a supervillain, and use your fire skills in everyday life, they might suspect you the hero or supervillain. Also if we are able to combine it with your fire ability we could have you do magma attacks, and other magma moves."

He saw news reports of lava or magma as it is sometimes called, it can be very destructive, more so than fire and earthquakes. To be able to learn them would be very useful if he was able to learn how to do earth moves, and then combine it with his fire attacks. Before he could ask more about this, or let some of his thoughts about what they could do with his skill, they heard screaming coming from the area of some abandoned buildings that were in the area. Wondering who was screaming, Harry ran off without thinking, as his sister tried and call him back.

_**o0OoO0o**_

It was a few minutes later before Harry slowly got near to the abandoned buildings, he walked between the walls and the buildings in the hopes not to get caught. It wasn't long as he got to a clearing where he saw five people wearing strange armour, two of these people were surrounding a small figure on the ground.

The two that surrounded the girl wore robes that separate in three pieces. Lowest on their body was an long dress made of what looked like segmented leather, that one could assume was part of a chest piece as well. Next up was a loose white robe with wide brimmed sleeves that ended at their waist, complete with a hanging flag sporting a golden eye. Finally, and most importantly, their identity was hidden by a black hood with fanciful gold inlay that extended into a knee length cape. They also had a golden staff, which had a Crescent Moon holding a diamond in the centre on top of it.

The other three people wear some sort red fabric with silver trimmings, and over it they had silver plated armour and helmet, which had gold trimmings. Harry also saw that on the front of their armour they had a golden bird of some sort. On their backs each of these strange people carried a sword, that was nearly as long as they were tall, the grip was long enough for a two-handed grip, with an additional handhold placed in the middle of the blade several inches up from the pommel, exactly at the balancing point of the blade. The point was split like a serpent's tongue, with a deep channel running down the blade to allow for blood to flow without restricting the cutting ability of the blade.

Before he could do anything or think what was going on, Lucy came up to him and hit him around the head. Like he usually been able to, he felt the hit, and whispered in shock, "What was that for Lucy?"

"Why else? For running off like that, you don't know what is going on, you could run into trouble that could have gotten yourself hurt or worse killed." Lucy said sadly, frightened what could have happened to her brother, he was to die she would no longer be around and that frightened her even more.

"Sorry Lucy I didn't mean to -" began Harry as he turned to look at his sister, and to his shock saw she was beginning to flick in and out of existence. "Sister, what's happening to you?" Harry whispered in shock, taking everything that he had not to shout out and reveal that he was there.

"I, I don't know!" Lucy said in shock and fear as she look at herself, then suddenly feeling weaker than she ever felt. It was as if something was draining her energy, taking everything that is her. This frightened both Harry and Lucy, worried that Lucy would disappear, ever to seen again. "I feel weak, I don't know what is going on but I feel that I'm fading for some reason."

But before Harry could say or do something, he felt something going down his spine, as he turned round he saw the two people in hooded robes looking in his direction, as if they knew he was hiding there. Than one of those people in the silver armour, asked in a female voice, "What is it? Is there another heathen here Sentinels?"

There was a few strange clicking sounds coming from one of the people in the robes, which was now confirmed as something or someone known as a Sentinel. Once the clickings stop, the other person said darkly, in a males voice, "Is that so, a weak one? Even so, we cannot allow heathens go, go and get the heathen." And so the Sentinels begun to get closer to Harry.

"Harry get out of here!" shouted Lucy as she felt strange as these Sentinels got closer to her, feeling more weak as ever before. But Harry wasn't able to, as with each step the Sentinels got closer to him, Harry begun to feel weaker, and as he grew weak more faded Lucy became. It was like she was disappearing into nothingness, and that frightened Harry, the only person that ever been nice to him, cared for him begun to disappear in front of his eyes and there was nothing he could do about it. Harry could only stare at Lucy as she faded in and out of existence, before sister disappearing altogether.

Upon seeing his sister disappearing like that, something snap within him as he blacked out, something dark and dangerous seemed to awoke within him. At first it seemed to the Paladins that the young boy fainted, something not uncommon when a young magical heathen comes near to a Sentinel.

However though, the moment the Sentinels over Harry's body, his eyes snap open, to reveal they were deprived from emotion. Instead, if someone looked into them they would see the eyes were alight in green flames, some would say they were seeing the flames of hell. Seconds after Harry opened his eyes, his body was engulfed in flames and flamed up nearly burning the Sentinels if they didn't step back when they did.

As Harry stood up the Warriors of God were shocked, what they saw was nothing like they ever seen before. The aura around the young heathen screamed evil, more than any other heathen they ever seen. It was like the young boy was evil itself.

The three Paladins saw in shock as the evil incarnate summoned a fire ring around one of the Sentinels before they could run, where unholy screams could be heard as they were being slowing burned alive. The other Sentinel tried to escape, but was caught by a blot of flames coming from the evil incarnate and and turned to ash before they knew what happened.

As the Sentinel in the ring of fire was slowly been burnt, the young evil incarnate sent a wave of fire at them, making them to duck. Than the young boy sent flamed diggers at them which made them to dodge the attacks again. These Paladins won't prepared for this kind of attack, it was the reason for the Sentinels were there for, who right now were nothing but ash. They were there to upper hand the Earth Mystic once the Sentinels subdue the heathen, so the Mystic couldn't attack them, and so they could place a power submission collar on the heathen. It meant to be an easy find and capture mission, and so didn't need any weapons, they won't suspecting a fire wilder to come by. Seeing that they were outclassed and powered, the Paladins knew they needed to escape and report what had happened. Using a few powerful stun grenades, they threw them at the heathen leaving him stunned for a few moments so they could make their escape.

Once they were gone, it was like a tracker that turned whatever happened to Harry off, and Harry was on the ground out cold.

It was a few moments after the Paladins left, when the figure on the ground begun to stir. As the figure stood up, the person was revealed to be a young cute black girl. She looked to be an eleven years old, with plated dark red hair, she was Charlotte Brown. She was the Earth Mystic that the Mystic Council was looking for, as not only did she had the ability to control the Earth around here, but unlike the other Earth Mystics, she is able to make an underground tunnels/rooms, a mile to two miles underground. Which was why the Paladins and the Mystic Council was looking for her.

She had gotten her powers when she was only six years old, when her own father buried her into the ground because she could do strange magical things. Her father was a God fearing man, who believed in what the bible said, 'thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.' So upon seeing the magic she could do, he buried her alive in the middle of nowhere and left her for dead. It was then that her magic transformed, in fear she wanted to be able to control the Earth around her so that she could escape, to defend her - to live without fear. And like her powers was listening to her plea for help, she gained the control of Earth.

It took a few years to be able to control them, but over time she was able to master her new skills, but now she could do many things with them, even building underground tunnels/rooms. It was the way she lived since she learnt how to, to protect herself from being hurt or hunted by people like her father who called themselves Paladins. In her time living alone, she relied on no one, trusted no one, all that she trusted was her own powers which she use to steal food, drink and whatever else to survive life on the streets. She done many things to do so, things that a kid of her age shouldn't know about or think about doing.

The Paladins wasn't the only ones she had to avoid, there were a few groups, magical and non-magical. Sure she could have went with one of them, but she didn't know if she could trust them. From the magical groups she had heard one group talking about altering her memories so that she would forget what she could do, which because of this she kept herself away from such groups. As she didn't know if they were trusted not to do the same, or use her for their own gain. Which is why she didn't go near a group known as the Mystic Knights, where she heard them calling her a Earth Mystic. And the few non-magical groups that she came across, wanted to experiment on her.

Either way, over the years Charlotte learnt how to avoid capture and how to control her other skills other than her Earth abilities. She meet other people who used their powers to survive life on the streets, some were nice enough, whilst others only wanted her to control. In fact she was running away from a magical group that wanted to control her, when she had the misfortune to run into two Paladins and their Sentinels. They had just captured her, when she heard them talking about using her and others like her to get rid of her kind, as it would better using other heathens to fight their kind instead of risking their own people. The last thing she heard before blacking out because of the Sentinels was, "What is it? Is there another heathen here Sentinels?"

She didn't know how long she was out for, but when she came to, she felt a great heat, and the Paladins escaping without her. As the heat was dying down, she had wondered what had happened, why would the Paladins run without her? Not that she was complaining, she was happy they won't taking her with them. Over the next few minutes, she regained her strength and was able to get up, where she saw the reason for the Paladins running off.

She saw a young boy, who looked no older than five years or so with flames around him, flames that were dying down. As she looked at the young black haired boy, she had to wonder what happened. She knew the stories about the Paladins, and knew they don't often run away from a fight. So she had to wonder how such a young kid could make the Paladins run like that, and what happened to the Sentinels that were with them?

Whilst she didn't know what had happened, she did know one thing though, whatever happened, this young kid was somehow involved in saving her from the Paladins, who most likely have killed or used her in some way. She could leave him there like she would normally, but she couldn't do that to him, she after all owed it to the black haired kid to keep him safe and repay the debt for saving her. So levitating the young boy, she carried him to one of the areas that she had built her underground tunnels and dig herself and the young boy underground.

_**o0OoO0o**_

It was a few hours later before Harry begun to come round, as he looked to see he was in a dimly lighted room. As he tried to remember what happened to him, and how he got there, when he moaned in pain, "Ahh my head, what happened to me."

"I would like to know that too," Harry heard a female voice from the far end of the room, which was darker end of the room, "when I came to I saw the Paladins escaping, you were out cold with flames dying out that was coming from you, with ashes from the Sentinels."

"Who's there? What are you talking about?" asked Harry, as he summoned a ball of fire in his hand, only to see a cute black girl sitting in a chair.

"So you really are a Fire Mystic," the young black girl said with a knowing smile, "I'm Charlotte Brown, I'm talking about what happened with the Paladins and the Sentinels."

"I'm sorry but what do you mean by that? I never heard of Fire Mystics, Paladins and Sentinels." Harry admitted to Charlotte, as he tried to remember what happened to him.

Brown wasn't too surprise that this young boy didn't know anything about them, it was only luck, bad or good depending how you would think of it, that she found out about them. And so she explained the little that she knew about them.

"So let me get this straight," Harry began thoughtfully, "there are these two groups the Mystics and the Paladins right?"

"Well they are other groups out there, but they are the two of the main groups out there that I know of." the ten year old explained.

Harry nodded in understand, he and Lucy had often thought about this before, wondering if there were magical groups out there or not. The Mystics and the Paladins were the first two that were confirmed to Harry to be out there. As he sat there, Harry wondered if these Mystics and Paladins were the ones that were following him, or if it was another group that was doing so.

"So these Mystics has a task force you could say called the Mystic Knights," Harry scoffed at the name, it sounded like some kind of old TV show or something, "who protect others like us from these Paladins and others like them. They also stop magical crime too. Right?"

"As far as I've been able to find out about them yes." replied Charlotte.

"And these Paladins, they are an anti-magic group that believes that only God should have such power." Harry said thoughtful. This group sound much like the Paladins in Jumper, where they believed that only God should have the skill to be anywhere at one time. "But yet these Paladins have these Sentinels who use some kind of anti-magic you could to stop us from using our powers, and are able to sense us too."

"I know it seem condescending as you say it like that," the cute black girl admitted thoughtfully, "but from what I've been able to find out, they used potions to give whatever powers they give these Sentinels. In the eyes of the Paladins, potions isn't really magic, but science, and in a way they are right, you take different ingredients and put them together to make something else - that's what scientists do every day to find and create new things. To them they are only using science to improve a person and giving them extra abilities."

Harry only scoffed at this, seeing how most true believers of god thought that science was evil, and most true believers don't have much to do with it. But then again, over the years Christianity has altered itself to fit into the world around it, to accept science into their lives.

Either way, getting back at point at hand, the young boy asked, "If these Mystics and Mystic Knights are ones meant to help like those like us, why aren't you with them?" Harry suspected with his surroundings, he had a gut feeling that something isn't right around here. He might be wrong, but it was something that he had to ask.

"They might be, but I don't trust them." admitted Charlotte, before she explained a bit about her life, to help Harry understand. She begun to explain how her father a widower, her mother was killed in an accident when she was a baby, abused her for a long while because she did strange things, before he tried to bury her alive, where she gained her powers to control earth. It wasn't a skill she thought about learning, but it was something she needed to serve and get out alive, from there she learn what she could about her new skills to live on the streets by herself. Whilst she might not be very good at it, she had a basic idea of her skills now and was able to create underground tunnels/rooms.

This reminded Harry a lot about himself, about how his own family hated and abused him for a while all because he did strange things. But unlike Brown's father, they didn't try to kill him, beat him half of his life yes, but not kill him. It wasn't like they didn't want to, as Harry overheard the fact that they wanted to, but they suspected they were being watched by some Freaks for some reason and they didn't want to risk the Freaks interfering in their normal lives more than the Freaks already had by placing him with them.

Harry felt he was lucky that he didn't need to leave the Dursleys just yet, sure he wanted nothing more to do so, but he knew it would be foolish. He wasn't skilled nor knowledge enough to live on the streets, not only that he wasn't sure from what he overheard Dursleys if he/they were being watched or not. He didn't want anyone to learn that he had escape, as he didn't know what would happen, and so it was for the best he stayed at the damn Dursleys. So not knowing who he could trust himself, he could understand where Charlotte was coming from. Not only that, from what Charlotte told him, he wasn't nowhere strong enough to defend himself against what is out there at the moment.

Charlotte then explained how she was out to get some food, when she was caught off guard by the Paladin and was attack. She explained that although she didn't know how Harry did it, if it wasn't for him, she would have been captured and brainwashed to fight against the Mystic Knights and others like her, or if it didn't work, she would be used for other things or killed - so she was thankful for Harry helping her.

Once she finished telling Harry what she a bit about herself, and about what happened, she asked, "Harry, can I ask, who is Lucy? As you were calling her name whilst you were out cold."

"She's my sister," the black hair kid said with a sad sigh, "she disappeared when those Sentinels got near me."

"What do you mean?" asked the young girl, confused how a Sentinel could make a person disappear. From what she knew about them, it was impossible for them to do such a thing.

"She was my imaginary friend/sister," explained Harry with a tear in his eyes, "and somehow those damn Sentinels made her to disappear."

"Oh…" Charlotte said suddenly, as she realized what he meant now.

"Don't oh me like that," Harry said darkly, "she was all I had in the world, the only one who cared for me."

"I'm sorry," apologize Charlotte, "I didn't mean to be rude, it just surprised me that's all."

"Okay, I just going to miss her." the seven year old sighed upset that he had lost Lucy, he had tried to bring her back since he awoke, but he had gotten nowhere.

"Going to miss who?" a voice said suddenly out of no, "Oh that was weird."

"Who's there?" "Lucy?" both Harry and Charlotte said at the same time.

"You can hear her/me?" both Harry and Lucy said in shock, seeing that no one had hear Lucy before.

"Of course I can I'm not deaf you know." said Charlotte, as she give him a weird look.

"But that's Lucy my imaginary sister, only I should be able to hear and see her." Harry explained, he was confused as to how this could happen, as no one before could see or even hear her before. Charlotte too was confused, and was unable to think of anything to say, as she tried to think what was going on. As she was doing this, Harry got up off the bed he was on and went up to Lucy and hugged her. To Charlotte though, it was like Harry was hugging thin air, where she got up from her chair and put a hand through way Lucy meant to be and suspect felt nothing but air.

But to Lucy it was like Charlotte had put a hand through her, and said to her, "Hey do you mind? That wasn't nice, how would you like to have some put a hand through you?"

Charlotte just stared at the spot in shock and confusion, none the wiser as to what was going on, as Harry said as he give his sister a smile, "So Lucy, what happened to you?"

"I don't know, one moment I was telling you off for running off like you did and then feeling wired and everything went dark." explained Lucy, as confused as Harry was at this, as she tried to work out what happened. "Than the next thing I knew I was here, wherever here is, with you and this girl. A girl who seems to be able to hear me."

Harry thought about it as he too tried to think about it, but after a few moments getting nothing he came to the decision he didn't care. "You know what, as long as you're back sister I don't care what happened."

"Same here," Lucy agreed with a smile, "it'll be a bit longer before I leave you alone. So can one of you two tell me what that was about?"

And so Harry and Charlotte explained once again what happened, for Charlotte it was the strangest thing that she ever went through. And since she got her powers, she had seen a lot of strange things, but this by far was the strangest. Talking to thin air, to someone that didn't really exist apart for in a mind of a seven year old child.

Once Harry and Charlotte caught Lucy up as to what was going on, they tried and come up with ideas as to how Charlotte could hear Lucy. But they came up with nothing. Before long through it was time for Harry to return to the Dursleys for the night, but Harry said he would be back later. Not only did he want to learn more about her, and what she knew, but he wanted to talk to hear about her powers.

Once Harry returned to the Dursleys, Harry smiled to see a fearful looks on the Dursleys who lead him to his new room, the spare bedroom. It seemed that his threat work, he now had the second biggest room. They even allowed to look through Dudley's second bedroom to see if there was anything he wanted, his aunt and uncle wanted to keep him happy as much as possible, before they turned the room into the spare bedroom. This was something Dudley didn't like, but a look from his parents was enough to keep him from say anything. And so start a new chapter in Harry's life. The seven year old did wonder how long it would last for, but for the moment he didn't really care as he slept in the soft bed.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_14th of March 2008:_

It had been almost three months since Harry meet Charlotte, and has he thought about it, it was the best gift other than creating Lucy. He spent more time with Charlotte then at the Dursleys, although thanks to a few threats and showing them what he could do with fire, the Dursleys hadn't been a real problem for Harry. If it wasn't for the fact he wasn't sure who was watching him, and how, he wouldn't even be at the Dursleys.

If way he was glad he had made friends with Charlotte, as not only did he have a new friend and someone to train with, but she helped him to learn how to do some basic earth element moves. It was difficult, but over the last few months, Harry was able to create and launch small spheres of earth, and low powered projectiles of earth.

It wasn't much, but with his training with his fire ability and Jumping, it was enough to fit his needs for now. He knew that with training with Charlotte, and his own training it would take year to master his fire and other abilities. But like many kids his age he enjoyed fire. The way it glowed and danced and how it stood out against the backdrop of reality, it was that reason that Harry would keep up with it until he could master this ability, to have it bend to his will, and become the most powerful being out there.

The problem was that with the way the Dursleys brought him up, his influence with fire wasn't doing his mental stability any favours. He already had emotional problems as it was, but more he trained with his flames, more unsettled his emotions became.

In fact he asked his new friend about this, and she had informed him that it wasn't really surprising, as from what she learnt about Fire Mystics, their powers were powered by their emotions. And from what she heard, it is believed that the more angrier the Fire Mystic became, more powerful their skill could become. But at the same time their emotions could became more unsettled, letting their emotions get the better of them. And so to help with this, the Fire Mystic learnt how to meditate to keep control of their emotions and so their powers.

Now although he was learning to meditate to keep control of his emotions, it didn't stop him from slowly becoming a budding pyromaniac. It started somewhat harmless enough, he would start small fires and watched them burn out. But if it wasn't for Lucy and Charlotte, he would have just watched them get out of control and burn down buildings. He didn't tell Charlotte this, as he didn't want to make her afraid of him, but he even had dreams of watching the Dursleys being burnt alive by his flames, as he sat there and laughed as it happened. Harry knew that whilst his own flames didn't hurt him, normal fire that was created by him would, but as the months passed, those flames that did hurt him stopped doing so. Sure he didn't know if a magical fire would hurt him or not, but he suspected as he became more powerful that kind of problem wouldn't be a problem.

Not only was he learning about his psychokinetic and earth abilities while he was awake, but he was learning in his dreams with his sister. This was how he learnt so quickly to control his flames. To help further his training, Harry and Lucy would play catch with his fire, throwing fireballs at each other. His current skill set was coming along fine, but he, Lucy and Charlotte knew he still had room to learn more. They came up with the idea that that seeing he got his idea to learn how to control fire from the movie and comics of Fantastic Four, he should keep on getting ideas from the movie and comics. In fact Charlotte joined them too, thinking that she might be able to get more ideas on how to control her powers from comic and cartoons, even get some new powers too.

Charlotte Brown was a god send to Harry and Lucy, not only did she help to teach Harry how to do some earth attacks and they want Harry to learn, and keep him from letting his fire go wild - but she give them an underground headquarters to train, and come when they needed to get away from the Dursleys - although after hearing about his past with them, if he said something Brown might have been willing to help. In the past the young girl only had created one or two rooms, but now she had a few more for herself and Harry - a few of them were used as somewhere to train. Harry helped to light the rooms with his fire skills.

Over the last few months, Harry and Lucy learnt more about Charlotte's life before they meet, about how her own father abused her because she was different, it reminded them of how the Dursleys treated Harry, and her time on the streets. Charlotte explained about how she did try and get some help, but no one seemed to care as they should, the police, the government workers that meant to help people like her, none seem to really care. And those who did could do nothing because of their bosses stopping them.

Hearing this made Harry realize that being a hero in this day and age was worth nothing, if the government who meant to protect its people did nothing, why be a hero in the first place? All it would do was put a band aid on the problem, as no one would really care, it would just help cover up the existing problem up even more and nothing would be done about the main problem.

The best course of action would a criminal himself: his line of thought was that if he can't fix the problem, he would be part of it. Instead of using his skills to help, he would use them for his own gains, to get what he wants and if possible change the world to fit his own needs. He may not become a supervillain, but he won't be a superhero, instead he'll use them to do what he want and screw everyone else. His resolve was more so when he heard that a few months before Charlotte meet them, she had been doing a few sexual acts to gain money, and still doing so.

The thing that made Harry to want to use his powers for his own gain, wasn't the fact she was doing sexual acts for money, he heard about such people and they normally done so as they needed the money. No it was the fact that a few people who paid Charlotte for these sexual acts, were the people who meant to protect her, the police, doctors and social workers, that used her. If these people could use her like that, there was no point in protecting people who would let them stay in power.

Anyway it was a Friday after school, and Harry had decided to walk to the nearby forest to train some. He, Lucy and Charlotte trained together often trained at their underground hideout, but sometimes Harry liked to train in the forest, in the open air. One of the main things that they were trying to was allow Charlotte to see Lucy. As it was strange for her to hear Lucy but not see her, and that she could see Harry hugging fine air, and being hit by an invisible force.

They never discovered why Charlotte could hear Lucy, but over the last three months, there have been a few times since then where others could hear her too. Surprisingly the Dursleys and those Harry didn't like nor trust could hear her, so Charlotte came to the conclusion somehow his powers evolved so that Lucy could be heard by anyone apart for those Harry didn't like or trust. Harry and Lucy wasn't sure about it, as Harry didn't feel he was more powerful, but it did seem to make sense though.

Either way, over the last few months, they made little progress, the best that they could was over the last week where Charlotte could see the outlines of Lucy. It was a start, and might take a while before Charlotte could see Lucy fully. But other than that they were been training hard as they could, one of the skills that Charlotte wanted to learn was from a cartoon called Avatar the Last Airbender. She wanted to learn how to cover her hand in earth, to make a Earth Gauntlet. With training her other abilities, and helping Harry with his earth abilities, she hasn't got as far as she wanted, but was happy to have someone to train with in her earth abilities too.

As for Harry, after reading comics, and watching movies, TV shows and cartoons, Harry and the girls came up with a skill he could try. Pyroportation, or better known as Fire Teleportation or Flaming - they got the idea from watching a TV show called Charmed.

Sure Harry was able to Jump to wherever he wanted now days as long it was within the county, but the fact was if he used his fire abilities and Jump at the same time, it would be only matter of time before the Mystic Knights would find out it was Harry behind the fire attacks. Even if Harry got off, he would be on their rider and anyone magical would be watching him. So Harry would need another way around it if he still wanted to do such things. It was something he liked the idea of, not only was it a cool skill to have, but it was from the demonic powers from Charmed, something he had been and failing to be able to do. If he could do something like that, he would be one step closer in having demonic powers, even though it was barely a demonic power.

Over the last few months though he hadn't got far, but he put it down to the fact that he had been training with his other skills too, and so might not be powerful enough to do so yet. The only bit of success he had was when he compressed the energy that fuelled his pyrokinesis into a tight ball and then let it go. The ring of fire that had exploded outward around him had seared straight through the tree he'd been leaning on - which had thankfully fallen backward from the kinetic force. This was definitely something he would be practising in the future.

During the training though, something strange happened, Lucy begun to start her own ideas of what she wanted to do. Sure she could use the same powers as Harry within controlling fire and earth, seeing that she was part of him. But she wanted to learn something for herself, something that Harry couldn't do, or wanted.

Whilst somewhat surprised, although Harry knew he shouldn't be seeing Lucy had a strange free will even if she was part of him, he was happy for his sister to learn something of her own. It made her even more special in his eyes. And she did find some powers she wanted to try, and they came from reading the various incarnations of the X-Men, as they had many different powers, powers that could be useful to her.

The first skill Lucy learnt was shapeshifting and the ability to change into animals, and whilst wouldn't mind having the ability himself, he wasn't too bothered about learning it. As with his own training of fire and earth, and learning to close his tares from Jumping, he didn't have the time to try to learn more.

Either way, Lucy had great fun changing into all different people, making him laugh as she altered their appearance to comical degrees. The same with the animals, he loved it when she came a wolf or a tiger for some reason. Lucy also found out that she could become any humanoid animal, a hybrid of girl and animal. Harry thought she looked very cute as a Catgirl, and as a Wolfgirl. Harry often wondered that if she was real, if she would have enlightened smile and sight because she was part animal.

Another ability Lucy was able to gain was the ability to copy herself. This skill Harry wished he had time to learn, as he could be in two places at once and get away with things, but sadly he didn't have time. Lucy liked the idea of having a few more of herself, and teasing her brother. At the moment she was only able to make two clones of herself, but it was enough for her and had fun teasing her brother.

One last skill she give herself over the months, was that she was able to get another pair of arms to grow out of the side of her body, like the character she'd seen in some of the Japanese comics they'd found in the specialty store. Now this skill Harry had no interest at all in, as he didn't see the point of having another set of arms and had to wonder why his sister wanted them for.

As Harry thought about the past few months, he became so lost in his thoughts, and as he made his way deeper into the forest, he didn't take in his surroundings. If he had he would have seen that he was being followed by people in armour, the armour of the Paladins. The Paladins were out in search not only for other Mystics, but they were keeping an eye out for Harry as he was the only one to defeat and turn a Sentinel into ash. They wanted to find out how that could happen, and to see if they could control that person, so that they could get that person to help them to defeat the heathens faster. As over the last few months though, they were unable to find the person behind what happened to the Sentinels, but it seemed that today was their lucky day. They were coming to the forest to make a drop, when one of the men spotted the black haired kid that he recognise was the one that turned the Sentinels into ash.

It was only by luck that Harry heard a glass bottle being smashed, and at the last second ducked as he saw someone about to hit him over the head with what looked like a police baton. As Harry recognized the people who attacked him as Paladins, he was about to Jump away, like he normally would have done to get out of a fight. Or that would what he have done, but the second that he tried. He felt a painful shock of electric going through him as a modified police baton hit him mid Jump, causing him to fall onto the ground in pain.

As Harry slowly turned round and look up to see what hit him, he saw six Paladins surrounding him, each holding a police baton, which reminded Harry of the batons from the film Jumper. Not wanting to be captured by these Paladins, he was about to do something he knew might not work but had no other chose if he didn't wanted to be captured - he tried painfully to try and Jump and hope it would Jump. But as he suspected, one of the Paladins hit with the electrified baton.

"Oh please Heathen," one of the Paladin's said with a sneer, who sounded like a male, "do you really think you can Jump? We all know about the Mystics Skills, and how you try to copy them from different places. We also know most of your weaknesses, so we can counter them."

"You and your kind are nothing but heathens, you Mystics, Wizards and other magical users," said a female sounding Paladin, "no one other than God should have the power you have."

Harry couldn't help himself as he said darkly, "But wasn't it said that God made us in his image? So why is it so hard to think that he might have given some of us, some of his powers too?"

Right away Harry knew it was the wrong thing to say as one of the Paladin's kicked and poked him with the electrified baton. As they said, "How dare you heathen, God would not give us lowly mortals such powers."

Harry would have said that the Paladin sounded jealous, but wisely kept quiet. Instead he pushed his magic to make a small earthquake, hoping that he could make them lose balance long enough for him to escape. He was glad that his plan worked, and as the small earthquake shook the Paladins, which they tried to keep standing but with little luck, Harry stood up and tried to make his escape as quickly as he could. But as he was in too much pain to Jump, the best he could do was to run and hide.

However though, before Harry could get too far, someone came out of the shadows wearing a black cloak. Harry only had to wonder who this person was, when the person removed their cloak. Harry saw that it was a man, and he was wearing a thick fiery coloured armour, with silver shoulder, legs, chest and wrist guards with yellow balls on them. Upon seeing this person, he said, "Well heathen you seemed quite skilled, you'll be very useful to capturing other heathens so we can get rid of them."

"High Master Gavinrad," said one of the Paladins, who had gotten up of the ground, before kneeling in front of the new arrival, as the other Paladins followed suit as they got off the ground, "he caught off us. We won't aware that he was able to use earth attacks as well as fire."

"That's what I keep telling you all Paladin Jacob," began High Master Gavinrad, "don't suspect these Mystics to have one set of skills, or only use wands like their cousin heathens the Wizards and Witches. I've seen some who had three set of skills other than wandless magic that they use. But I have to say, to find a child heathen that has two elements abilities at such a young age, I'm truly surprised. He'll be very useful to our organization, with training he'll be able to get rid of the other heathens ease, and help us creating a God fearing world as it should be."

"Like hell will I help you mad men," the seven year old Harry said, in pain, as Gavinrad hit him with the electrified baton, "I won't be helping you."

High Master Gavinrad just laughed darkly at Harry as he hit Harry again, before saying, "By the time we finish with you heathen, you'll be doing what we say and you'll do so without another word."

Just than Harry saw at least five tears, tears like he made when Jumping and realized that someone who could Jump too, was about to appear. He wasn't sure who it was going to be, nor did he cared at the moment seeing that this could be his chance to escape. So with a knowing smirk, he said to High Master Gavinrad, "I think you'll be having a problem there asshole."

"What do you -" began High Master Gavinrad, when fifteen people in armour, appeared out of no where seven of them Harry heard made a popping sound as they appeared. The armour was thick in the chest and legs, but thinner in the arms. The armour itself consisted of a red leather top and ankle length skirt as the base, a slightly smaller blue leather piece of the same shape over top of it, and finally heavy plates literally belted into place over the hips, chest, arms, and head. And the last thing Harry saw before Gavinrad knocked him out, was the Paladins, and this new group fighting each other.

The armour on the knight was thick in the chest and legs, but thinner in the arms. Great for swinging a weapon with impunity, but it left him looking just a bit silly. The armour itself consisted of a red leather top and ankle length skirt as the base, a slightly smaller blue leather piece of the same shape over top of it, and finally heavy plates literally belted into place over the knight's hips, chest, arms, and head.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the third part of the Saga, Harry's Childhood, I thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. I know that it looks like that Harry is going to be superpowered kid, but he isn't really as there are others like him, other Mystics who have power who are about the same level as him, weaker or in a rare case stronger than him. Not to forget the adult Mystics too, who'll be stronger than Harry too, for now at least. So don't worry Harry isn't going to be overpowered who no-one can stop him, at least for now that is, once the story comes along he'll become stronger and nearly unstoppable. But it doesn't mean he can't be, just hard once he gets strong enough.

I also know that there'll be a lot of people that might not like how I wrote about Charlotte's past, but like it or not, but this kind of thing with police, doctor's and such people using children for sexual acts sadly does happen. I'm sorry if this upsets you or you don't like it, but I'm trying to write a realistic dark background for each person who'll join Harry and his pursuit into darkness.

Either way, I'm still after ideas for different powers for the Mystics, like I said I would like them from comics, shows and movies and would like them before 2007. To help here is a site of powers, if you find any you like, let me know and I'll see about adding them: powerlisting . wikia wiki/Superpower_Wiki

I've been searching for sites for characters and I found one, if there is a character in this list you want someone to copy the powers from, let me know who that character is and the reason the person want to copy them and I'll see what I can do about adding them: www . superherodb characters/

First Paladin's Armour: yuq . me/users/26/140/4TxjEWupqk . png

High Master Gavinrad Armour: www . conceptart . ?attachmentid=1149355&amp;stc=1&amp;d=1295511407

The armour of the strangers that appeared at the end of the chapter: orijnramboer . files . wordpress 2011/08/battlemage . jpg

If you can describe these armours better, please let me know. And if you want to help with describing future armours and that in future chapters, please let me know as I'm looking for help. As I'm somewhat awful at describing armours and such, and would like some help if you can help me.

So you know though, I'm working on a side-story to this story, to explain how the Mystics came to be, and allow me to add a few of your OCs into the story, and explain about them in the story too. I know I could explain things in this story, but as most of you see in my works, I often tend to go overboard when I do such things and so decided after starting the story that the side-story is better for this. As I want to keep things going smoothly, and I don't want to go off track in explaining things in this story - so I created the side story. Like it or not, the Mystics and the elements of their creation are going to be a big part of this story, and feel I should take time in explaining them. So I'll be working on the side-story of this for a while, before returning to his one. So if you want to know more about the Mystics, I would like it if you read Rise of Overlord Vulcan Side-Story - The Mystics. As not only would like to see your thoughts, but any ideas you want to see to happen with the Mystics, and what tech could be used too and such.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story.

_**Question:**_ As many of you know, this story is going to have a crossover with Fairy Tail. So I would like to ask about the one hundred year quest that Gildarts went on, what could it have been. From what I've read, it might have to do with something that is on, or has happened on Zonia Mountains, but unlike many might have thought, it has nothing to involve the Black Dragon, Acnologia. Gildarts told Natsu that he stopped, because of Acnologia, not that the quest was Acnologia. If it wasn't for the Black Dragon, Gildarts would have kept on his quest, so it wasn't to defeat the dragon. So what are your thoughts as to what is the hundred year quest?

**Next Chapter:** In the next instalment of Harry's Childhood Sage, Harry is taken to Mystic Island and meets up with the Mystics, where he learns a bit about the Mystic.


	5. Chapter 4 - Harry's Childhood - Part 4

_**Author's Note:**_ Now before I start this next chapter, I would like to apologize for the long time in updates, but if you read my other works, you would know this is because my muse and the mood to write has not been there for me until recently. Next some of you know that I have been doing a side-story to this one, and I would like it if you could read it too. Whilst the side-story isn't important to this story, it'll explain about the Mystics more, and it'll explain how Voldemort came to be and his reactions to the Mystics.

Remember, I am altering the timeline quite a bit, and one of those things is when Voldemort came to be. In this case he came about after World War 2, and so his up being would be different and such. One of the things that I've changed is about how Tom came into his darkness and who helped him, I've also alter a few other things too. But to know what, and learn about more about the Mystics, I would recommend you read the side-story, as it'll explain a few things that you would miss in this story.

One last thing before I start, I did have a new Beta Reader, who has worked on the first two chapters, whilst nothing big has been changed, he has made the story read smoothly more. So if you want, you can see what he has done and I hope that you'll like what he had done.

This chapter is in memory of Alan Rickman, may he rest in peace, a great actor that made Snape a bit more bearable.

_**Chapter Four…**_

_**Harry's Childhood - Part 4!**_

_**(The Mystic Island!)**_

_14th of March 2008 - Mystic Island:_

Harry wasn't sure how long he was unconscious, but when he awoke, he looked around and realized that he was in a completely white room, without his glasses, he couldn't tell _exactly _where he was. But he noticed he was in a _very _soft bed, the bed was so comfortable, he felt as if he was _melting_ within the bed's embrace. As he sat up, he began to extend his arms, moving them in precise, practiced motions, attempting to find his glasses. As he was doing so, he heard a man say, as he handed him his glasses, "I believe you're looking for these."

As Harry put his glasses on, he had to take a moment to ensure that what he was seeing was, in fact, reality, to do so he took his glasses off, before rubbing his eyes. As before him was what he thought was a seven foot human/dragon hybrid wurmling. To Harry, it looked like the _person _was wearing the uniform from the movie: Star Trek: Nemesis. He was wearing a blue turtleneck shirt, and around each of the wrist was a blue coloured hoop, the cloth surrounding the neck was also blue, the rest of the uniform was made of a fabric resembling carbon fibers, due to the texture of the cloth, and grey/black appearance. Over the area of the left breast, was a pearly white star.

Before thinking, Harry asked blatantly, as he tried to move away, and a fireball in hand, "What the hell are you?"

The human/dragon hybrid didn't seem to be offended by this, in fact, he chuckled, as he said, amused, "Haha, worry not, young one, extinguish your fireball, I mean you no harm. I am Mystic Healer Drakon, in the normal world where you came from, you would call me a doctor." Drakon informed Harry as he saw Harry's confused look, "And, as you can see, I'm a human/dragon hybrid."

Upon Harry hearing his explanation, he warily extinguished his fireball, but was ready to defend himself, even if he couldn't win, he would make it difficult for them to take him. Whilst hearing that this, was a doctor of some sort, somewhat eased his worried state, a bit, not by much, but what do you expect Harry to feel when he was face-to-face with a seven foot tall human/dragon hybrid? Attempting to make sense of the situation, Harry asked, "How is that possible?"

"Hmm, let me see, how can I explain that?" Healer Drakon said to himself thoughtfully, as he knew that this young child knew nothing about Mystics, "seeing that you're here, you're able to something that no one else, or not many around you can do, such as: summon things, fix things with a wave of your hand and such, correct?"

"Those are two of a few abilities, that I am able to wield," Harry warily admitted to the Healer, not allowing him to have the knowledge of the full extent of his abilities, "I can wield the deadly power of fire, to an extent, I cannot do much, but I only started to wield fire about a year ago."

"Oh, now that is interesting," Drakon said with a small smile, "so you have been attempting to utilize your magic to do different things to see what works, correct?" At this statement, Harry simply nodded, wondering where this conversation was going, "While, in my case, when I was a child I was fascinated by dragons, I loved drawing and reading about them, I even tried to watch any shows I could about them. So, when I learnt that I was special and could do things that no one else I knew could, I thought, maybe I could transform into a dragon and back. Sadly, though, there was some kind of accident, I have no idea what, neither do the people I work for, though they think I was too young and didn't have the power at the time to attempt such a transformation, but I was stuck in the form you see now, ever since."

"Oh." was the only thing Harry could say as his mouth made an 'O' shape.

"Yeah, over time, I had a few people that reacted like you have when they first saw me." explained the Healer, what he didn't say was that: it was a lot worse and people threw multiple items at him and wanted to kill him because of his appearance. "I'll admit, it was difficult, attempting to control my new found power and people not fully understanding me, but when I was found by the Mystics, they helped me and made it so that those people didn't remember me and took me in, afterwards, I learnt to become a Healer."

"What's a Mystic?" Harry pretended that he didn't know what a Mystic was, well he wasn't really lying, he knew of them and that they were magical, but that was all he really knew about them. "And, where am I?"

Before Healer Drakon could answer Harry's question, a voice from the doorway said, "I think I can explain that, Mr. Potter."

In the doorway, stood a man in his thirties, he had black hair and was wearing an outfit that was similar to the Healer, the only differences were, the outfit had a red turtleneck and hoop around the wrist. "My name is Mystic Knight Erebus, and I am here to speak to you and explain a bit about the Mystics." Turning to the healer, the Mystic Knight asked, "Healer Drakon, is Mr. Potter allowed to leave?"

"I was unable to find any injuries, so, as long as he doesn't try to Jump for the next few hours, he should be fine, as the electrical charge he suffered has temporarily ruined his accuracy, at Jumping." The Healer began to explain to Harry and Erebus, "So, should you Jump, you could miss your target by miles, which, could be dangerous, depending on where you are going. So, it is best he stay here for a few hours for the electrical charge to leave his body, otherwise, he is fine to leave, Mystic Knight Erebus."

"Thank you, Healer Drakon," Erebus thanked the Healer, before asking, "but do you have in your possession, a spare hooded cloak he could borrow for a short while?"

"Sure, I have a few, just in case." admitted the Healer as he got a small cloak and give it to Harry.

As he did, the Mystic Knight said to Harry, "Until I say otherwise, I want you to keep the hood on the cloak up."

"I'll explain shortly, let's get out of here, I know that kids at your age dislike being in a hospital longer than you have to be." Erebus said with a soft voice, as he led Harry out of the room and hospital.

_**o0OoO0o**_

As Harry and Erebus left the hospital, Harry was amazed at the grounds, he could see beautiful land, filled with amazing plants of all kinds, and animals that he had never seen before. The seven year old could only be lead out of the grounds, by lightly pushing him, as he took in the view of the land surrounding him, covered with many plants, some of which had, long black stems, with blooming white flower petals, the disk of the flower, was a pale blue, the plants of this particular variety, were scattered throughout the grounds. Another flower had a poisonous yellow disk, while the droopy petals of the flower were a dark violet, the stem was a rich blue, this particular flower was close to the exit of the hospital, possibly due to medicinal purposes. Another one of the flowers that stood out was, a flower with a light green disk, droopy yellow flower petals, and a dark grey stem, this flower, was closer to the bunches of houses, for what purpose he did not yet know.

Lounging around, outside of some of the houses were strange animals, one of which, being a lupine creature, with large floppy ears, golden brown eyes, grey fur, as well as being the size of a small horse. Another of these strange creatures was, a feline animal with small ears that stood up, purple, slitted eyes, gold fur, and was the size of a large dog. Near some of the few houses, were equine creatures with orange eyes, black fur, attached to the back of the equine creature, was a pair of wings with purple feathers, the creature was the size of a small house.

As Harry was looking at all the different houses in this neighbourhood, Harry spotted that many of the residents were looking at him strangely, and some seemed to look at him with pain present within their faces. After seeing this, Harry asked the Mystic Knight, "Why are they looking at me like that, and why do some of them look like I caused them pain?"

"I would have liked it if you were older before you learnt this, but, if you're going to be here more often in the future, it would be better to tell you now, you would find out sooner, rather than later." Erebus explained to the young boy, "But first, I should give you some background concerning the Mystics and the world of magic…" and so, Erebus began to tell Harry the basics of the Wizarding World, and the Mystics, which every child on the island knew.

Once Harry digested the information that Erebus had given him, he was pondering over the knowledge he had recently been gifted with, and, after a few moments, he said thoughtfully, "So, let me ensure that all of what I have heard, is, in fact, the truth, the Mystics were created, by your leaders: the Carter Twins when they acknowledged the fact that they were able to wield their magic in a way that the rest of the Wizarding World could not do, and they feared them because of this. And they wanted nothing more then to stop this, but the twins fought against this and their work resulted in the creation of the Mystics."

"Those are the basics." Erebus admitted, amazed at how mature Potter was. He often wondered if magic was the reason that most children, even himself, were so mature at an early age - although, he had seen a few who acted as if they were older than they actually were, non-magicals that had no magic. But from what he could sense about the young boy, he seemed to be more mature than any other kid he had seen, and he had to wonder why, but that would be something he would look into at a later date.

"But what does that have to do with people looking at me weirdly?" asked the seven year old.

"Before I answer that, I would like to ask you this: what do you know about your parents death?" the Shadow Mystic asked Harry.

"Other than what my uncle and aunt told me, which I suspect is a lie, is that they died in a car crash," Harry gave a half truth, he wasn't going to say what else they said about them, it wasn't the Mystic's business, "although I don't know what it has to do with why people are looking at me strangely."

Erebus sighed, he had to hoped that Harry already knew the truth, he didn't want to be the one to inform the young boy the truth. But as he said not too long ago, he was going to learn the truth sooner rather than later, which he disliked. So, with a sigh he asked, "Do you remember what I said about the Mystic Knights joining the Civil War in the Wizarding World against the Dark Lord Voldemort, because a group of Dark Mystics were aiding him?" Harry just nodded, wondering where this was going, "Whilst we were able to stop the Dark Mystics', and few of the Death Eaters', plans, we were never able to stop or defeat the Dark Lord."

"So, how was this Voldemort person stopped then, was it the Wizarding World that stopped him?" asked Harry.

"Sort of," the Shadow Mystic admitted with a dark look creeping onto his face, "the truth is, that it was _you_ who stopped the Dark Lord, and you were only one year old."

"What!?" Harry yelled in surprise when he heard this, how could he,a one year old stop a Dark Lord, did he throw his nappy at him? "How is that possible that _I_ was able to defeat him at one years old, when no one else could, what about my parents, what happened to them?"

"They died protecting you from the Dark Lord who for some unknown reason wanted you dead," explained Erebus softly, seeing the boy's shock and disbelieve, "and we do not know how you were able to defeat the Dark Lord. When we first learnt of his defeat by you, we wanted to find you and see if we could find out how, so we can save so many more lives, as he used a spell that is unblockable and kills every time unless you move out of the way, or are able to put up a thick wall between you and the spell. But someone hid you, and until last year when I was able to find you by dumb luck."

"Do you know who hid me, and when did you find me? And why haven't you came up to me before?" asked Harry, who was now worried, as he wondered how long they have been following him.

"We don't know for sure who hid you, but we think it was Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster to his worlds Magical School known as Hogwarts. He is also Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, who has the final say in Wizengamot, which is wizarding Britain's high court of law, when the votes are undecided or deals with people who can't agree with something and things get out of hand. He is also the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, which is a wizarding intergovernmental organisation, roughly equivalent to the United Nations."

Harry was shocked to hear how many titles this Dumbledore had, and had to ask, "How on earth does he get the time to do jobs properly?"

"That we do not know, we have a few ideas, but nothing we know for sure." was all Erebus would say about it, before he went on to say, "Any we found you last March, when you first discovered your powers, and Jumped for the first time. Since then we learnt you had some control of fire, how much we do not know, able to Jump and have a Psychic Entity Creation or P.E.C. for short."

Harry was relieved to hear that they didn't know the full extent of his powers, but he was upset they knew so much already about him. But he was curious about something and asked, "What is a Psychic Entity Creation?"

"It's what the Researchers here calls Imaginary Friends that magical kids might have from time to time, these Imaginary Friends react differently to normal ones that most children have, be they be magical or not. They are rare, but they meant to be able to can see things that their creation cannot, they have their own intelligence, other than that the Researchers don't know what they can do. Although from two of kids who had one, they seem to be able to interact with the caster, as if they were really there."

Harry was shocked to hear that Lucy wasn't the first of her kind, it would seem that there were others like her. Something he would talk to her about, and see if he could find others like him and Lucy. But he was also unhappy that they knew so much about him and her, he would have to be careful around them, "Isn't Psychic Entity Creation a strange name for something like that?"

"I thought so true," admitted the Shadow Mystic, "but be happy they didn't call them Mystical Friends or something like that, the Researchers here, and the people who make up names here don't have much imagination, the island is called Mystic Island, the High School is called Mystic High and the academy for Mystic Knights is called Mystic Academy, so you see my point. Either way the Researchers would like to talk to you about your Imaginary Friends to see if she is a P.E.C. or not, but only if you agree to. We won't push you to do anything you don't want to."

Harry had to admit the people who named things here didn't have any imagination when it came to naming things, it was something he would call things, and that's only because he was seven years old, and it was suspected of him. But adults, they can be strange at times was Harry's thoughts. As for talking to the Researchers, he had no plans on doing so, as it would mean they would learn more about him then he would like. But not wanting to give things away he said, "I can't promise anything, but I'll think about it. Now back to the point, why people look at me weirdly?" asked the seven year old.

"Because you are famous," Erebus told Harry, "at the age of one you done what no one else could, defeat Voldemort. Now the reason they are looking at you as if they are upset, it's because they had sent you thank you letters and gifts, and yet you never once send a note saying thank you or reply to their letters."

"But I didn't get any letters or gifts from anyone over the years." Harry admitted to Erebus . He would have known if anyone sent anything, as Vernon would talk about Freaks sending him letters and would give all the non-magical items to Dudley.

"Hmm that is interesting, I wonder…" Erebus said mainly to himself, before saying to Harry, "I'll have to look into this for you, but it would seem someone is rerouting your mail for some reason. For now, it's best to not to upset the people here, or do anything that put you more in a bad light with them. For now let's get a carriage and take you to the town, and show you around there."

Whilst Harry couldn't say much about the letters and gifts that he didn't get until he knew who was behind stopping him getting them, he could say something about going to the shops. "Whilst I wouldn't mind going to this town, I don't have any money on me at the moment."

"You don't have to worry about that, there's a bank in town and whilst there you can ask about the Potter Account." the Shadow Mystic explained to the young man, "Whilst I don't know much about the account, I do know they had one, and had most likely set a Trust Vault for you to use until you come of age at seventeen."

Harry was shocked that he might have an account of any kind, as he would have thought his uncle would force him to empty it for himself (Vernon,) and his wife and son, and wouldn't give Harry a penny. So it would nice if he did have one, so he could spend it on some new clothes and such. But coming of age, that confused him and so asked, "I thought coming of age was eighteen in England."

"In the non-magical world yes it is, but in the magical world, the coming of age is at seventeen." explained Erebus, "Now come on Harry, let's get to town, I think you'll enjoy yourself there." and so Erebus lead Harry to the Carriage Station.

_**o0OoO0o**_

They won't far from the Carriage Station, when to Harry's shock to see a church. From what his uncle told him, the church anything magical and wanted them to be burnt at the steak. As they passed the church, they saw a forty year old black man, in a white suit, a black shirt and a white collar around his neck, coming out of the church. Next to him was a redheaded girl with green eyes, who looked like she was around seven or eight years old - she was wearing a light blue dress.

AS this person in the suit saw them, he and the girl walked towards them, and when they got to Harry and Erebus, the person said, "Greetings Mystic Knight Erebus, I hope you are well… is this a new protectial Mystic?"

"Afternoon Preacher Matthew, I'm fine thank you very much," Erebus said with a smile, he and Matthew were friends, and he spent some time with Matthew's family at the weekends, "and yes he is a new protectial Mystic."

"Why is he a hood, is he ugly or something and you don't want to scare everyone or something." the young redheaded asked innocently enough.

"Oh no nothing like that Holly." Erebus said to the little girl, her name was Holly Grace Halliwell, and she was one of the casualties in the war of the WIzarding Civil War, she was found by a priest one day, she was in a blanket with nothing more than an armlet with her first name and what they suspected was her date of birth on it. When they learnt she was magical at two years old, they sent her to Mystic Island where she would be taught to become a Holy Knight. Over the years Holly thought of Preacher Matthew as her father. "This is Harry Potter." Erebus said warmly.

"Why is he wearing a cloak if he isn't ugly or deformed somehow?" asked the young girl.

"For his safety," explained the Shadow Mystic, "as you know there are still many dark Mystics out there, some even here even though we can't find them, and they would like nothing more to harm Harry for one reason or another. He is wearing the cloak to hide what he looks like so that it would make it harder to capture him."

"That is a wise move Erebus," admitted Matthew, before turning to Harry and asked, "So young Harry, what do you think of Mystic Island so far?"

"I only seen the hospital and this area, but so far it looks good, but I am confused to see a church here." Harry admitted to the preacher.

"Oh and why is that young Harry?" asked Preacher Matthew.

"Some my Uncle Vernon told me many times about the church and their beliefs about magic," Harry admitted darkly, "he said they believed this, _thou shalt not suffer a witch to live_."

"I'll admit that sadly there are many in the church that believe that," Matthew admitted with a deep sigh, "but there are many like me and those in the Vatican believe in what our Lord Jesus once said,_ 'Those without sin, cast the first stone.' _Meaning we all have sinned, but it doesn't makes use bad or evil, just misadjusted, just like magic users."

Harry had to admit that the preacher had a point, but before he could say anything, Mystic Knight Erebus said, "I'm sorry Matthew, but we have to get moving. I'll talk to you later, and if we got time I'll bring Harry along so he and Holly could get to know each other."

"That's a wonderful idea, so I'll see you later." said the preacher, the four of them bread each other farewell, and parted ways.

But as as Preacher Matthew and Holly walked back towards the church, "Father are you alright?" asked the young girl, seeing that he was suddenly looking concerned.

"It's Potter," Matthew said with a whisper, "I don't know what his life been like, but I sensed a great deal of Darkness within him. The Holy Knights well have to keep an eye on him."

"Shouldn't we tell the Mystic Knights?" asked Holly.

"No not yet," said the preacher, "now that Potter is found, whatever the darkness is within him should vanish. For now we should watch and see, our main goal is dealing demons, not getting involved with the Mystic Knight issues. We have no place in their affairs, so for now we keep an eye on Potter and if he interferes with _our _affairs, then we inform the Mystic Knights."

Holly nodded at father's word, seeing that she didn't think he was wrong. Little did she knew it at the time, that in years to come, her life and the life of Harry Potter would one day be connected in ways she never thought possible.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_14th of March 2008 - No 4 Privet Drive:_

It was evening, and Harry found himself back at Privet Drive in his room after a strange afternoon. First off, he found himself on Mystic Island, one place he didn't think he would ever see. Then he saw a strange Dragon/Human hybrid who was one of the Healers on Mystic Island, and he found out that there were many others like him, who were hybrids of human and beast of some kind.

Not only that, but he had learnt about the Mystics itself, and how they came to be. He was shocked that there were two types of Magic Users: the first was the Mystics, and the second was what the Mystics called the Wand Users. The Mystics were a group that used the time old favourite of trial and error, using comics, videos and such to learn how to use their powers, just like Harry done. As for the Wand Users, as the name suggested, they use sticks to cast magic, and need to know spells to learn magic. Something Harry thought was somewhat limited the person as what they could do. Sure what he found out depending what the Mystic decided to learn, there are a few things that a Wand User could do that a Mystic could not, and vice versa.

Harry learnt that there was eight classes that first years go to, three classes that learnt spells, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration and Charms. In Harry option, other than maybe Charms that he learnt about, Wand Magic was useless in most cases, as you wouldn't really need it for everyday use.

Defence was good, but unless you were planning to be a magical police, you would only need to know the basics, and not need five years worth of training to do so. Basically you would need to learn how to shield yourself, how to disarm the other person and a few basic defence spells just in case you can't run away, was enough to know for a normal everyday sort of thing.

As for Transfiguration, from what he heard most of the things that one could transfigure, only last for a period of time before needing to recast the spell - be it hours, days, weeks and sometimes months, it would need to be needed to be re-casted. Other than using Transfiguration to defend yourself, and maybe changing your looks and becoming an animal, there was no real use for it in the day by day life.

And lastly Charms, this class Harry believed that if he had learnt what he needed, would be the most useful of the three classes that taught spells. Like the charms to unlock doors, levitate things, warm yourself up, dry yourself, and summon and mend things, along with setting things on fire. Whilst there might be more, these were the most useful spells, and ones that Wand Users needed to learn for everyday use.

Then there was the non-magic classes, where you don't need to learn spells, Astronomy, Flying, Herbology, History of Magic and Potions. Out of those five, Harry didn't see the point of Astronomy, why would they need to know about planets for? Harry didn't ask at the time, as he was getting his head around what he was learning, but Harry could only suspect that the planets affect magic somehow. Although he wasn't sure how, he had been doing magic for a while now and use it almost daily and he had no problem so far, and so he had got no idea how the planets could affect magic.

Flying Harry had no interest in, as they use brooms to do so, and he was planning to learn to fly without one, and from what he heard, after the first year the students wouldn't be taking the class again. History of Magic did sound like an interesting class at first, but then he learnt that it was taught by a ghost, that not only go on mainly about Goblins, but sent people to sleep, so no point taking the class if he wasn't going to learn anything useful.

The only two non-magic classes Harry found interesting and useful was Herbology and Potions, Potions as he could learn many thing to heal and defend himself with. Herbology would allow him to learn to grow his own potion ingredients, which would be cheaper than buying them all the time. Harry was in two mind about going to a Wand Using School like Hogwarts, he would need to think about the pros and cons about going and learn what else they teach, before deciding if he'll go or not.

Should he decide to go to a Wand Using School, he would have to decide if he would go to one in Europe or not. As from what he learnt about the European Wizarding World, was that most of the place in Europe were stuck in the Dark Ages, and so he would have to think about the pros and cons about that and see if the pros in learning in the European Wizarding World, would fit into his plans for the future. Not only the Wizarding World backwards, another thing that wasn't going for it was that it didn't have a backbone. They feared to say the name of the Dark Lord Voldemort, they would call him You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Whilst he might understand why they would fear him after everything Voldemort had done, but fearing to say his name only give him more power. And seeing that it had been nearly seven years since the Dark Lord disappeared, they shouldn't have a problem with saying the name. Whilst he might be able to understand why the Wizarding World feared the Dark Lord's name, he couldn't understand why Muggle-Borns and Muggle-Raised would fear the name, as they should know better growing up in the normal world learning the say, _'Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.' _So why would they fear the name all of the sudden, was it possible that they been put under a spell to do so or something? Harry wasn't sure, but it would be something he would look into should he go to Hogwarts.

Anyway, back to his time on Mystic Island, he was shocked to learn about the place, and that most of the place was run of magic instead of electric. The magic that was used was a magical item known as Lacrima, that powers things like the fires in their rooms, and the street lights around the island, along with so many other things. Once he left the preacher and the redheaded girl, he was shocked to see what the carriages, Erebus called them Hippogriffs. A magical creature that has the front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle and the body, hind legs and tail of a horse. Harry was told that Hippogriffs was used not only to pull the carriages, but work on the field on the farms in the underwater domes.

As for the town in the Mystic Island, it was full of different shops and flats where people lived in for the people who worked in the town. The shops had different kind of Lacrimas that people could buy, and different kind of magical items, along with the basic items for day by day things. But before he could buy anything, he had to go to the bank known as Gringotts, that was ran by magical creatures known as Goblins - a highly intelligent race of small hominids with long fingers and feet that coexist with the magical world.

He was shocked what he learnt at Gringotts, after making sure he done a small test to make sure he really was Harry Potter, he learnt he had a few Vaults. The Potter Family Vault, which had the main family money in, which had around two million galleons, which in normal money was about ten million pounds. The Goblins informed him the Potters were once much more richer, but with helping in past wars with money and whatever help, they won't as rich as they used to be.

Than there was the Heirloom Family Vault, where the Potter Heirlooms were kept, there won't much left seeing that things were sold to defend against Dark Lords in the past. But there were a few things still in it, one being the deeds for the Potter Family Manor, and a few other properties.

The last vault was his Trust Vault that his parents set up for him, which when he was born had, he had ten thousand galleons in it - which was fifty thousand pounds. And over the years on his birthday, another ten thousand galleons go into the vault. So by now he had about seventy thousand galleons, which was about three hundred fifty thousand pounds. And unless he talked to the Account Managers at Gringotts, he had an allowance of one hundred galleons or five hundred pounds to spend a month. Harry also learnt that there was seventeen Sickles in a Galleon, and twenty-nine Knuts in a Sickle, meaning there are four hundred and ninety-three Knuts to a Galleon. He also learnt that should he sale a Galleon, an appropriate value of the Galleon would be around twenty-four pounds and sixty pence. When he learnt this, Harry decided to make a mental note about it, as it might be useful at a later date.

Harry had to admit when he life the bank, that whilst he didn't know what he was suspecting that the bank would be like, but what he saw wasn't it. It looked like another bank, counters, cash machine and such. When Harry asked the Account Manager why the bank seem to look like a normal bank then a more outdated banks like the from the middle ages that he was suspect, the Manager that before meeting the Mystics, all the banks were different and was like the middle ages bank. But once meeting them, and learning about Muggle technology, after some talks, the Goblins decided to work with the Mystics and update their system.

So whilst their main branches would be the same, where all people would have to go to setup an account and where the vaults would be. The smaller branches would have the computers and cash machine and such, that would be connected to the main ones so it would be easier to get to their money.

Anyway, once Harry got some money, Erebus took some shopping, the first place they went to was a Trunk Shop to get a trunk to keep his things in. The trunk that Harry got was made from dark red dragonhide, one of the strongest, so that the trunk won't be be scratched, burned, dented, or damaged in any way. It was also keyed to Harry only, so that unless Harry allows it, only he would be able to open it and the four compartments. The trunk also had the ability to shrink and enlarge by a touch of a button on top of the trunk.

The first compartment was made from cedar, this one was to allow him to put his clothes in. Harry had wonder if his clothes would smell as fresh after being in the trunk, although he did like the smell and didn't mind if it did so. It would hold then more than a normal trunk.

The second compartment was sectioned off for different uses, so that it would hold his school supplies, parchment, ink, quills, books, cauldron, potion ingredients, his broom if he got one, and anything else you might need for school. And like the first one, it was able to hold more than a normal trunk.

The third one like the others held more than a normal trunk, would hold all his personal items, journals, letters, bank statements, galleons, muggle money, and anything else that he didn't want other people to see when he opened his trunk to get his clothes or school supplies.

The fourth and last compartment was like the last three, being that it was bigger, but this was had four books bookshelves, they had no real size to them other then they fitted into the trunk, the height all depended on how much room he needed. More room Harry needed, the bigger the bookshelves would become. Harry was glad that he was able to arrange to take out three hundred Galleons out of his Trust Account, as the trunk cost him a hundred and fifty Galleons to buy, but it was worth it. Because as long as nothing happens to it, he wouldn't need another turn again.

Once Harry got his trunk, he went to different shops to buy a few things. Mainly it was clothes that fitted him, as he didn't want Dudley's hand me down much longer. Harry was surprised to see that most of the shops whilst sold things that you would suspect to see in magical shops, most of the shops sold Comics, DVDs, Video Games, anything that had ideas for powers the shops sold them. Erebus explained that this was so that new potential Mystics to find the powers they would like to learn, so it was no surprise that Harry got a few things to help him. Not only that he got a few extra books on spells and history of both the Mystics and the Wizarding World, so he could show Charlotte.

During his time looking around the shops, Lucy reappeared, but seeing that he didn't know that she was there, talked mentally. Both she and Harry was shocked at two things about the books that Harry got, one was that the pictures of the Authors were able to move about in the frame, even disappear from it. The other was that there were books on him, almost all of them were made out to seem to be real, but instead they were all faction. And from what he remember hearing about what he received money wise, he knew that he didn't see a Knut of it.

When Harry asked Erebus about this, to see if there was anything he could do about it, he learnt there was nothing he could do about it. In the Wizarding World, there was no law against slender, and making out that what was faction was real. Also there was no law saying that the writers would have to ask permission to do so from Harry. And sadly seeing that they won't part of the Wizarding World as such, they had no say in the making and changing of the laws.

However though, the idea of books of Harry and moving pictures give Harry and Lucy an idea, one that would help them gain more money. So as Harry and Erebus shopped, Harry and Lucy had a mental chat about their idea. The idea was of someone on Mystic Island, creating a comic book of him as some sort of Mystic Warrior. They needed to think some more of this before seeing someone about it.

After some shopping Harry asked if there was somewhere closer to shop for Mystic Items, as Japan was too far out. This was where he learnt about Diagon Alley, this was where Gringotts main branch for the UK could be found. Erebus explained that with some talks between the Mystics and the Ministry of Magic, they created a sub alley for shops Mystic Shops. But Erebus warned Harry that there were other sub alleys other than the Mystic one, some were darker than others, and so would need to be careful.

Erebus also warned Harry that before he went to Diagon Alley, he either get a hooded cloak of his own, or something to cover his face, or learn to change his looks. As he said earlier to the young girl Holly, there are those around that would like nothing more but hurt the Boy-Who-Lived, as they would want to make a name for themselves for defeating the one who got rid of the Dark Lord Voldemort. This was something that Harry had to think about, as he had thought about learning the skill to change his looks, but until now, he had no real reason to do so.

Once Harry got everything from the shops, comics, video games, and a few light and fire Lacrimas to try out, he had the Shadow Mystic to take him back home. Once there he returned to Privet Drive to think. He would have went to see Charlotte and told her what he had found out, but she was _working_ and so wouldn't be at the usual place. Although he knew that Charlotte had to do what she does to live, it ate him up, as if something within him wanted to hurt whoever dare touch her, he felt that only he could do it and yet he didn't understand why. For now all Harry could do was sleep for the night, in the morning he would decide what to do next.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the fourth part of the Saga, Harry's Childhood, I would like to apologize again for the long time in updates, but as I said my muse and the mood to write has not been there for me until recently. Either way, I would like to thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.

I hope what I have done with the chapter, and how I set things up in the story. I'm still looking for OC Mystics, and if you were reading the side story, I'm looking for OC Books of Zeref's: Etherious. If you can help me, please let me know of any ideas you might have. Any that I like, I'll use in this story and give you thanks for them.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story.

_**Question:**_ Got another question for you, how would you feel if I made Dudley a Mystic in the story, it would be something that would kick Vernon in the gut and piss him off. But I would like to know what you think, and what power should he have should he become a Mystic?

**Next time on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**In the next chapter of this story, the story continues with the fifth part of Harry's Childhood. In Chapter Five, Harry's true descent into darkness begins as he becomes Maverick, who'll rise the money Harry'll need to take over the world. So read as Harry create his alter ego Maverick, and starts becoming more dark.

_**Bate Reader Needed:**_ I'm looking for a Beta Reader to help me, whilst my Beta Reader Dovahkiinwolfghost7, is good at his work, I have had this chapter done for two weeks and yet he had not finished betaing it, most of the time he would keep saying he would do it tomorrow. Knowing that people have a life and often busy, but there comes to a point where you have to say enough is enough. So to help him out, I'm looking for another Beta Reader. So if you are good at spellings, grammar and sentence structure, please let me know ASAP, as I need the help. So if you're interested in helping me please let me know, I'm after someone who can help with coming up with original ideas and plots. Also if it is possible, I'm looking for someone who'll can help add and remove things from the story to make it better, and not someone who'll just do one or two words here and there.


	6. Chapter 5 - Harry's Childhood - Part 5

_**Chapter Five…**_

_**Harry's Childhood - Part 5!**_

_**(Maverick!)**_

12th of April 2008 - Underground Layer:

It has been nearly a month since Harry learnt about the Mystics, and returned from the Island, and now he, Lucy and Charlotte could be found in one of Charlotte's underground training areas underneath Surrey. During this time, other than practicing his Fire Teleportation, and trying to close the tear in his jumps, he was dealing with what he had learnt on Mystic Island.

Charlotte was shocked to learn what Harry found out about the Mystics, more so that Harry was famous for defeating the so called Dark Lord. Just like Harry she was shocked that they would fear the name of a person that has been gone for almost seven years. Another thing she, like Harry, was shocked about was why the war lasted as long as it did, all the wizards and witches had power, and outnumbered the Death Eaters. Whilst they might not be skilled as the Dark Mystics, they had the Mystic Knights to deal with them, and they should have been able to deal with the Death Eaters themselves. They might not be able to deal with the Dark Lord themselves, but there were people like Dumbledore who could have, but they had done nothing. They had to wonder what was going on, and it give them another reason not to fight for the Light Side as some of the Wizarding World called it. Especially when they heard that Dumbledore was willing to give Death Eaters and Dark Mystics a second chance, sure once they do their time in jail and show true remorse they can be given another chance, but not before like Dumbledore was doing and those they were doing bad things because they were being blackmailed or was under a spell without proving it.

Either way, with the warning that Harry should hide who he is whilst he was in the magical world until he got stronger, the three friends talked about how Harry should do it. The idea of hiding behind a cloak whilst the easiest , wasn't the most ideal option. As wearing a hooded cloak makes you look suspicious, and some might try and find out who is under the cloak. Either by trying to remove the cloak, or trying to follow them. There might be other ways that the three didn't think of too. No, hiding behind a cloak whilst the easiest, was also the easiest way to get caught.

The only option was shapeshifting, as Harry would be able to blend in anywhere he wanted, and no one would know it was him. The only drawback they could think of was should Harry change into someone when another person knew they shouldn't be there. So for this reason, it was decided that Harry would learn how to become invisible. The three of them thought the skill would be very useful, as Harry would be able to move about and do more things without being noticed.

So over the following month, other than learning to master his other abilities he was trying to do, he was also working to become a shapeshifter and to become invisible - putting his plans learning to fly on hold for now. For being invisible, he was only able to get his hand to become invisible, it wasn't much but it was a start. As for the shapeshifting, he was shocked at how well it was going, he was able to change the colour of his eyes and his hair, and was starting to changing the skin colour and the length of his hair. Harry was surprised that his sister could transfer the information on how to transform into his mind so easy, he knew in some way he should know it already seeing that Lucy was part of him, but yet his sister was the one did all the work not him.

Either way, he was happy that Lucy was able to do this, as it made this so much easier, and within the next few months, he could fully alter his looks. He had to argue with Lucy not to give him the info for being able to change into animals or humanoid animals, something that she wanted him to be like, but at the end allowed Harry to only change his looks as a human and nothing else. She still got a lot to learn, and in return not to make it so that Harry could change into animals or humanoid animals, Harry had to help her to help him to learn more about shapeshifting. It was a strange request, but Harry decided because deep down he wanted to learn more about it himself, it was why Lucy said it - this was something that kept him sane with Lucy. Thinking that deep down, it was part of what he wanted, if he thought otherwise, it would be one of a hell of a headache.

Either way, back to the present, it was Saturday afternoon and Harry was training in one of the training areas in the underground layer of his and Charlotte's, and he was about to take a break when Charlotte came into the room. Seeing her, Harry said, "Hey Charlotte, I'm just finishing up trying to turn invisible."

"That's good have you made any more progress?" asked Charlotte, as she summoned an earth table from the ground, and two chairs.

"Not really no, just an inch or so," Harry admitted to his friend, as he sat down, "what about you. Have you given any thought about any extra powers you might want to learn other than your Earth Abilities?" Since Harry got back from Mystic Island with the things that he got from the island, he had asked his friend to think about trying to learn another ability other than her Earth Powers.

"To be honest with you I haven't," the black girl admitted to Harry, "as I just can't think of any abilities that would go with my Earth Powers. Other than trying to become invisible, I don't need to change my looks, nor do I need any other abilities other than I already have. I think that when you have a power like I have that you are happy with, you don't need any other skills. I can understand why most Mystics only want to learn one main skill, as they either learn a skill that has a lot of potential skills to learn, or they just don't need to learn anything else.

"Then there are people like you, who want to become more powerful so that they don't have to feel weak ever again, and so want to learn everything they can. Also like you, there are those who want to push themselves to see what they can do, see where there limits are before they stop. For me other than mastering my Earth Abilities, unless I find a skill that catches my interest, there isn't anything else I want to learn."

Harry had never thought of it like that before, he always thought that people didn't learn more skills because they won't strong enough to learn more. He never thought that people didn't learn more because they couldn't find a power to go with the skills they already had, or they were happy enough with the power that they already had. Then there were people like him, who either found a power to go with their other powers, or wanted to never feel weak again, or/and wanted to see what their limits were.

As he was thinking about this, Charlotte said nervously, "Umm Harry, there's something I, err, want to talk to you about."

"Oh? What is that Charlotte?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well I've been talking to Lucy for the last week and -" Charlotte began to explain, when Harry called out, "Lucy come here please."

And out of nowhere, Lucy popped onto the room, as she did so, Charlotte muttered to himself, "I don't think I'll be able to get over that." Over the last week, Charlotte was able to see the ghost like image of Lucy, and she was still getting used to seeing someone/thing that wasn't meant to be real.

But Lucy and Harry didn't take notice of this, as Lucy asked innocently, "Yes brother, what's wrong?"

"Sis, Charlotte said that you two have been talking," Harry explained to his sister, "and for some reason she is nervous about it. So what were you talking about?"

"About you becoming some kind of super villain," this came from Charlotte, "and about what you needed."

"Oh did she now?" Harry said darkly, as he give his sister a dark look, this was one thing he didn't want people to know about, especially Charlotte. As he didn't want to lose her friendship. "And are you going to tell me that I shouldn't or that I should stop before I start?"

"Oh no, not at all, instead I want to help you Harry, help you to become a true Dark Lord." Charlotte explained to Harry, shocking him, he was not suspecting her to say that. Lucy just gave her brother a knowing smirk at this. "I like you have seen how dark and corrupted the world is, in fact I know more about it then you. In an ideal world yeah I would like it if we us our powers for good, but we don't live in an ideal world. Whatever good we might do, those who would ruin it somehow, so that our good work goes for nothing. So why should we bother being good if it does nothing?"

Harry wasn't suspecting something like this from her, yes he knew she had a hard life and didn't trust many people because of what she had to do to live. But he never imagined she would be like this, willing to help him to become a Dark Lord of sorts. The way she acted, it was like she wanted to change the world for the better, not take it over. So when Charlotte said next, he was even more shocked, "So instead of helping them, I believe we look out for ourselves and screw everyone else. So I'm more then happy to help you become a Dark Lord, as at least I can trust you not to screw me over - well not just use me and throw me away at least."

"So… you and Lucy were talking about me becoming a Dark Lord, what were you talking about?" Harry asked in interest.

"About the money you would need for becoming a Dark Lord," Charlotte explained to her friend, "Lucy told me how much you have, but as you might already guessed it won't be enough for what you need."

"I know that," Harry admitted to his friend, and then explained part of his plan to get more, "that's why I'm thinking about going to one of those Mystics, and see if I can start a comic in my name. Seeing that I'm meant to be famous, if I set things up right, I could get quite a bit of money from it. Not only that, but from what I learnt from the Goblins, I'm thinking to convert all my galleons from to normal money, before converting it back into galleons again, and do it all over again."

"Those are two great ideas," Charlotte admitted, before pointing out a few problems, "but that won't be enough. First off the comics might not take off easy, the Wizarding World is from what you told us is backwards, and so might not take it well. And as for the Mystics, it'll take some time before it, if ever, takes off and sells the way you want it, and then it'll take a while to get the kind of money you need.

"And as for your selling your galleons, that is a good idea, but yet again it'll take a long time before you get a lot of money together. If however the Goblins sell the galleons, they'll need to do it over every few months. I heard that if you sell to much gold in to small a time would the cost will come down a lot and so you won't be able to get as much as you want. So the Goblins would need to move slowly with that idea."

"So what idea have you and my sister came up with?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well some kind of, hmm underground entertainment place," said Charlotte as she tried to find the right words to use for her idea, "a place where people could come and spend money."

"How so?" asked Harry.

"From what Charlotte told me," began Lucy, "there are many laws when it comes gambling, selling sex, and many other things. Our idea is to use that to our advantage, by putting it all in one place, where people would have to pay to enter and then spend their money as much as they want."

"Lucy's right, and whilst it'll be slow to get the money, you'll get more over time then you would from your ideas." Charlotte explained, "I got a few ideas to start us off, first is a casino where the betting well take place. Next is a hotel, so that they could stay for the night if they want. The hotel well combined as a brothel, so that those who can pay, can have female companionship for the night no matter the age of the women. Not only that, but there would be a bar and restaurant to."

"Not only that brother," Lucy began to put her idea out, "but I was thinking we could have a Fighting Pit too. We all know that people like to watch and bet on people fighting, but from Charlotte, people love it more if there was no rules in the fight. And seeing that the people we'll attract well be mainly magical, they'll like it more, seeing what will happen during the fight. I was thinking that we could hire out Private Rooms, so that people could have meetings and do whatever they like in them without the fear of the law stopping them. And our last idea is as things come along and word gets out to the right people, we could build an auction hall or two. This could be a place that people could sell and buy things that they couldn't normally get legal, like weapons, slaves and such."

Harry was amazed at the thought that they put into this, this would get the money coming in. Yes it would take time, but as Charlotte explained, this would being more of a turnover in the long run. Yes he would still use his ideas, but that would be to put money into Lucy's and Charlotte's plan. But though there was a few things that come to mind, so he said, "Whilst I love the ideas, I have a few concerns. The first one would be, where would we set this all up? We have to be careful where we do this, so that the police, both the magical and non-magical don't find us."

"Oh I've already started to sort that out." Charlotte said with a smile, "As you know I can make underground tunnels, but I can do so much more. This last week, I've began to create something like a huge underground entertainment establishment, about three miles under London. I wanted to go feather, but it was getting too hot to do so. We will need need to find someway to cool down the temperature as it is."

Harry was amazed that she had such an idea, and wondered how far she had gotten with it. He didn't have to wait long as his friend went on to say, "I've only started and not sure how it'll turn out, but I'm hoping to make it look like the inside of a coliseum, with the likes of the fighting pits and such. Have you ever seen a coliseum before?"

"I've read and seen pictures of them," Harry told his friend, "they were mainly from Rome, where they built them for their twisted entertainment, where they would iet gladiators against other gladiators, or against wild beasts."

"That's right," confirmed Charlotte, "and what I'm trying to do is to make this place look like the inside of a coliseum. As you know they have the about four or so floors where people could sit and watch the fighting, well I want to try and do something different. You know how the floors were set up don't you, like a football stadium, where behind the seats were food and other small football shops." Harry nodded, he had heard about them and read about them, but that's it.

"Well I was thinking the fitting pits would have at least for smaller pits installed, where people could walk around watching people fight against each other, and if they don't want to watch up close, they could watch in the stands on the ground floor." Charlotte went on to explain what she wanted to do. "I'm thinking to have at least three floors above the fitting pits, the first two floors would have the Private Rooms, Casino, Bars and Restaurants. And in time once we get a name for ourselves in the underground world, I was thinking of building one or two Auctions Houses. And as for the last floor, I was thinking that would be for a hotel, so that people could spend the night there should they want to."

Harry was amazed at the idea, he knew that his friend had put a lot of thought into this. But he had a few concerns about the idea, and so he had to put them out there and so asked, "Although that is a great idea Charlotte, how are people meant to get to this place? I don't think you would be able to use your powers to bring so many people there a day, you would be tired with hours of doing so."

"I know, and which is why I won't be doing it." Charlotte explained with a smile, "I have a friend called Blink, who has got a power to create portals at well, that allow her anywhere in the country. She's about eleven years old, and like me is on the game, and is trying to find a way off it. But like me, she cannot yet, as she has no one to look out for her, and need to be on it for the money to live. But with this idea if you agree to it, she would be able to come off the game, and able to live and work with us. She could use her portals to allow people to get here."

It sounded like that Charlotte's friend had copied the powers from the X-Men character called Blink. Who also was able to create portals at will, and it would seem that Charlotte's friend called herself after the character. "Hmm, that's one less worry, but what is stopping people from finding us?" asked Harry, "In time the law will be knocking at our door to stop us, how are you going to stop that?"

"Lucy and I are still working that out." Charlotte admitted with a sigh, "But we do have at least two ideas how to deal with that problem. The first idea is that I create another area, a Meeting Chamber of sorts, far away from the entertainment establishment, and Blink could use her powers to take them to our establishment. But before she would do that, they would have to their clothes searched and leave any items that they have within the chamber. And should they find a way to get some kind of item to help them trick our establishment, I was thinking we could ask the Goblins to set up wards to prevent this."

"Okay, what about who'll work for us?"asked Harry.

"Again, we're still working that out, but I was hoping that the Goblins could help us with that as well." admitted Charlotte, "From what I've been able to find out about them from the books you got, they can do almost anything as long as you got the money to make it happen. But for the brothel, I know a lot of girls and women who'll be willing to work for you, and if you agree to this, when you get older you won't find your bed empty at night."

Harry could only blush at this, as he realized what Charlotte was getting at, and she and her sister smirked at him. Trying not to let them win, he acted as if nothing was going on and asked, "Why would they want to work for me?"

"Mainly to get away from their pimps, the ones that control them and set up the clients for them." Charlotte informed Harry, "Most pimps beat them, and give them drugs to control them. Many on the game want to get away from pimps, but they have nowhere else to go, and need the money. Another problem is that, the pimps take most of the money the ladies earn, making it hard for them to get away from their pimps. They enjoy what they do, but not how their pimps treat them. If I told them there was another place where they can do what they love, but treated fairly without getting beaten, won't have take drugs, and get paid much better, I think there'll be more then willing to work for you."

"Okay four more things, I can think of right now. The first is where are we meant to get all the things we need to run this idea of yours?" asked Harry, "We don't have the money to buy the things that you need."

"Oh that's not really a problem," Charlotte said with a smirk, "I've got a friend who has got a client who runs a huge company that sells most of the things we need. But is in deep debt, and him and his business are being investigated. He often mentions to her that he wished that someone would either steal all of the things there, or burn it down, so he could claim the insurance and clear his debts - as of right now he can't sell anything until the investigation is over. He can't do it or be part of it, as not only would he not get the insurance money, but we would all end prison. So if we stole and set fire to his warehouses so that he could get the insurance, he would owe us and might be able to send others like him to us. That way we can get what we want and not pay for it."

Harry could only smile darkly at the thought of being able to burn things down, and get what they needed, he loved the idea and so was more then happy to do it if it meant he could burn things. Although he wanted to hear more, he had a few more things to ask, "These are all good ideas, but what do you get out of it? Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful and honoured you would be willing to help me with this when you don't have, in fact I was more or less suspecting you to tell me I can't do this, or running for the hills. But I have learnt that no one does anything for free, so what do you want out of this?"

Charlotte smiled at this, seeing that her friend was taking this point of view, it would help him a lot in the future. WIth a smile she said, "I don't want anything more than to be the Madam of the brothel. Whilst I want to be off the game, so that I don't have to fuck anyone else, I know that there are many who'll still want to do it as they like it too much to stop or they know nothing else apart for being some sort of sex thing for people to fuck. Whilst I can't do anything to change their minds, I can help and protect them from those who mean them harm. And as a Madam, not only can I make sure they are safe, but I can make it so they are healthy, clean and taken care off. And should you agree to this, as I said, I'll make sure that you'll never have to sleep alone when you get older."

Harry had to once again blush as he heard this, he wasn't sure how he felt about that, but the images he was having didn't help. As he knew that he shouldn't be thinking such things at his age, but he was going through early puberty. That would explain why he was feeling like this. But he could see why Charlotte wanted to do this, to protect those women, even if it meant becoming dark to do so. If Harry was an innocent and naive boy he use to be, he would feel somewhat guilty at this, but he wasn't.

"If you're suspecting me to be in charge of this underground establishment, it'll be difficult." Harry explained to his sister and Charlotte, "Even with becoming a Shapeshifter to change my looks so that people wouldn't know I was 'Harry Potter,' people wouldn't trust a child to run such a place. Ouch, what was that for Lucy?" Harry asked as Lucy hit him around the head.

"For being an idiot," Lucy said as shock her head in disappointment, "you think that we're only going to use Shapeshifting to change what you like as a child? You can be so dumb, I sometimes wonder what you'd do without me and Charlotte here. I'm going to show you how to change your height, and making your skin look older and such. So by the time we are ready to make our move, you can look like someone older and with another name."

"Hmm, you seemed to put some thought into this for only a week of planning," Harry said thoughtfully, although he could see that his sister's plan was a good one, "I bet you even got a name already picked out for me too."

"Who said anything about me planning for this for a week," Lucy admitted with a knowing smirk, "I was only planning this with Charlotte for about a week. I've been thinking about this for a long time, as I knew that should you ever decide to become a super villain, you would need money and have been thinking about ways in getting it. It was only in the last week with the help of Charlotte, that I, I mean we got a reasonable plan that might work to get the money. And to be honest yes I have a name picked out for you: Maverick. No other name than Maverick, it would be a title of sorts, it means someone who doesn't follow the law as such, but bends and twist it, even breaks it to fit their own needs. I'm not saying we use it for your Dark Lord name, but for gaining the money to do so."

"You have one twisted mind Harry." Charlotte said to Harry as she realized how much work Lucy had actually put into this plan of hers, and knowing that she was part of Harry's mind. It didn't mean that she was against the plan, seeing that she helped with it, but it was the fact that she had put so much thought, meaning that Harry most of done too in a deep part of his mind.

"Hey don't look at me," Harry defended himself as he held his hands up, "I'll admit I have a dark and twisted mind, and Lucy came from it. But whatever comes from Lucy's mouth now days is all her nowadays, she often thinks up things that I don't. So her thoughts and ideas for this are mostly all her."

Charlotte could only shacked her head at this, the more she heard about Lucy, the more she like Harry was amazed by the type of magic that created her. Sure Harry made her up, but magic give her life and made her do whatever it is she could do. Either way, as she was thinking about this, her friend asked, "Finally, how am I going to run this establishment? I'm a child and so have no idea how such things should be runned."

"That's not a problem," Charlotte said with a smile, "one of my clients used to be an Underground Pit Boss for the Mob, he ran an underground casino and had his hands in a few other jobs. I'm going to meet him later tonight, so I'll be asking him if he can help you train you in these things."

"Why would someone like him help a nobody child like me for?" Harry asked curiously.

"Two reasons, first is that he always wanted to pass on the knowledge he gained over the years, but yet he never found someone he could trust not to stab him in the back." Charlotte explained to her friend, "And I mean literally stab him in the back. Whilst there are many people who would want to learn from him, there's just as many who want him dead too. As for the second reason, he owes me a few favours, and I could call them in to help you."

"Do you think he'll really help me if you asked?" asked Harry.

"I do believe he will." said Charlotte.

"Well I can't see the harm Harry." Lucy said thoughtfully.

"You're right Lucy, I can't see the harm of Charlotte asking this person," said Harry, "the worse he can do is say no. So for now though, we should talk more about this idea of yours. Whilst it is a good one, we need to start off with something small and work up to this huge coliseum idea of yours. We'll be new and people won't know if they can trust us or not, so until we are well known it is better to start of small. And as we get more well known and trusted, we could use that money to make your coliseum idea even better."

The girls had to admit that Harry was right, they were aiming too big, too soon, as they won't be known in the underworld, and people wouldn't trust something like they were planning so soon. It would be better if they started small like Harry suggested, and slowly grow bigger over time as they get a reputation. So until Charlotte had to go to work, they began to talk about how to deal with this new idea and where to place it, along with what to call their establishment.

From that day, Maverick was born, and over the next few months the three of them planned what their establishment, and what Maverick should look like. The first thing that they done to deal with this was to get the money, as the old say goes, to make money you need to speed money. So the first week they went to Diagon Alley to visit the Goblins at Gringotts, about selling his gold as he planned.

It took awhile to sell his seventy thousand galleons, seeing that the Goblins were against selling the galleons into the Muggle World. Something about treaties with the Ministry of Magic, to keep the Muggle World from accidentally learning about the Magical World. However, agreeing that Gringotts would get ten percent of the money, and getting the galleons altered a bit, the Goblins agreed to sell Harry's galleons into pounds before some of it would be turned into galleons again. Seventy thousand galleons would go back into Harry's Trust Vault, the rest would go into a new Vault under the name Maverick, which no one to know who really owned it. And as long as Harry didn't do anything against Gringotts, the Goblins wouldn't tell anyone that he owned the vault.

Anyway, the Goblins were able to sell the galleons at twenty-five pounds a coin, to total one million, seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds. Out of that one hundred seventy thousand pounds was given to the Goblins. Half of the money would stay in pounds, where the rest of it would become galleons which would be: eighty seven thousand five hundred galleons. Harry asked the Goblins to to take seventy thousand galleons from the Maverick Vault every so often and repeat the process, but keep the money in the Maverick Vault.

And whilst he was at Gringotts, he talked to them about getting staff for his establishment. The Goblins suggested that for cleaning and cooking staff, he should get some magical creatures known as House-Elves from a place down Knockturn Alley. They explained that House-Elves were the ideal staff for Harry, as they would keep his secrets, and would normally stay of sight unless told otherwise. As for the other staff that Harry would need, Dealers, Cashiers and such, they would look into it, but they would be willing Harry to hire a few young Goblins as Cashiers.

They explained that this would allow Harry the people he needed, and give the young Goblins who want to work at Gringotts, the experience working with money and people. So it would work out not only for Harry, but for Gringotts too, as they would have a place to send the new bankers to learn how to deal with money and people.

After dealing with things in Gringotts for now, Harry went to the Mystic Alley to see if he could create the comic book as him as an Earth Mystic in it. Harry had to ask around, but he was able to find a comic publisher, and after some talks they agreed to do such a comic, even a few story books about him and he would have about ten percent of the sells once they come out.

Not long after sorting out his money problems for their establishment, Harry helped out one of Charlotte's friends clients by stealing from their warehouses and burning down said warehouses. This help Harry get the furniture needed for their plans, the furniture was high styled stuff too, which was even better. And over the following months before the establishment opened, Harry done two more jobs like this to get even more furniture that they would need.

Other than dealing with the money, getting furniture, Harry meet with the former Pit Boss known as Bowser came and taught Harry what he needed to run such an establishment. One of the things that Bowser told Harry he should do was to hide the identities of the people that worked for him by wearing masks, so that if the police were able to enter the establishment undercover, they could not find out who they were. And although he would be looking like someone else, he would still need to wear a mask too, as it would be suspicious if he didn't. Something Harry would have to decide about later.

And by December of that year, Harry was able to change his looks to a twenty-five year old black bald man, with a scar across his left eye, and on his arms. The idea was to make him stand out, make it so that people won't think about pushing him around. At this time with the help of the Goblins, the establishment The Underground Asylum (A/N if you guys can think of another name, I would like to hear it.) opened.

The Underground Asylum wasn't as big as the main establishment would be, it didn't have an have a big hotel or have any Auction Houses yet. But it did have a around one hundred guest bedrooms that could be used, and it had three small restaurants, one fighting pit, and a few small casinos.

_**To be Continued!**_

Author's Note: Here ends the fifth part of the Harry's Childhood Saga, I would like to thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.

I hope what I have done with the chapter, and how I set things up in the story. I'm still looking for OC Mystics, and if you were reading the side story, I'm looking for OC Books of Zeref's: Etherious. If you can help me, please let me know of any ideas you might have. Any that I like, I'll use in this story and give you thanks for them.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story.

Next time on Rise of Overlord Vulcan: Unless you the readers can think of anything to add for Harry's Childhood, I'll be closing things up so that I can start Harry's first year at Hogwarts.

Harry's Powers: Jump, Summoning, Levitating, Banishing and Repairing, Shapeshifting, invisibility, creating and launching small spheres of earth, and low powered projectiles of earth.

Lucy's Powers: Other than the powers that Harry had, they were low powered, her main skills were the following: Shapeshifting and the ability to change into animals, humans and humanoid animals, cloning, and another pair of arms to grow out of the side of her body.

Charlotte's Powers: Earth Abilities…

Thought of the Day: Why Snape and Dumbledore are part of the problem within the Wizarding World… (I know that it isn't a real world, but this is something that bothers me.)

There'll be many of you who'll be shouting at me saying that they are the good guys: what I have to say is this. Yes they might be the good guys, who want to save people's lives and defeat the Dark Forces in the world. But to me, in the long run, they are part of the problem within the Wizarding World. Before you say I'm a basher of the characters, which is true, but here is my thought as to why I think they are a problem to their world.

Let's start of with Snape and how he was the reason behind the lack of Healers and Aurors, you might not think so but think about it. Look how at his attitude towards anyone who's not Slytherin, look at poor Neville Longbottom. Yes he needs to be hard as it is a dangerous class, but if he actually showed them what to do, and tell them where they are going wrong they would be better at the class. All he does is to make snide remarks and sneers at people. This is the reason why many people quit the class after their OWL's, because of his attitude towards him. That's even if they get the O in their the OWL's to get into the next year, with the way he teaches is hard to do.

Now with Dumbledore, he is the reason for Snape being at Hogwarts and let him get away with the way he acts, any other Headmaster would force the teacher to act more properly as they should act. Then it is the Defence Against the Dark Arts Class, he believed that the class was cursed and yet he done nothing to change it, he didn't get a Curse Breaker to see if there was one and have it removed, and if they couldn't, he could rename the class, change rooms or start a new class to deal with the problem. Now for two other classes, History of Magic and Muggle Studies: why keep a ghost teacher if only going on mainly about Goblins, and sending people to sleep. How were any of the students meant to learn anything, so that they won't repeat past mistakes? As for Muggle Studies, why keep a class that's so out of date from what I remember of the class?

Now the other problems that Dumbledore made for the Wizarding World, he has three important jobs: The Headmaster to Hogwarts. Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, who has the final say in Wizengamot, which is wizarding Britain's high court of law, when the votes are undecided or deals with people who can't agree with something and things get out of hand. And lastly he is the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, which is a wizarding intergovernmental organisation, roughly equivalent to the United Nations.

Seeing he was famous and respected for defeating the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald, so he could use his power as Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump to help and make up laws to make their world better, but he did not - seeing that people listened to him at the time, he could have made the world better. He let things stay as they were, and let things get worse. Or he could have started to change the children's mind whilst they were at Hogwarts, it is at school where people form opinions and thoughts that'll make them into the person they'll become in the future. But once again Dumbledore done nothing to change this, and allowed Purebloods get away with calling Muggle-Borns Mudbloods, and allow people get away with bullying.

I know that there are others to blame for the way the Wizarding World was the way it is, but Snape and Dumbledore, Dumbledore mainly, are part of the problem of the Wizarding World.


	7. Chapter 6 - Harry's Childhood - Part 6

_**Chapter Six…**_

_**Harry's Childhood - Part 6!**_

_**(End of Harry's Childhood!)**_

_31st July 2011 - No 4 Privet Drive:_

It has been about two and a half years since The Underground Asylum opened, and since then a lot has changed. We find Harry in the living room of No 4 Privet Drive, which was a rare event for him, as he would be either in his room, at Underground Asylum as Maverick or in his underground training area training his powers. The reason he was at his uncle's and aunt's place, who were out for the day, was because he was waiting for someone from Hogwarts to pick him up to take him to Diagon Alley - which was the main reason the Dursleys weren't there. So they wouldn't be around another freak. Not if they were like the little monster that was Harry Potter.

Now as Harry was waiting for whoever was going to pick him up, he thought about what happened since The Underground Asylum opened. To start off with The Underground Asylum opened, its reputation grew within the Underworld of Crime.

When Harry first opened Underground Asylum, he thought it would be hard seeing that the Wizarding World tried to alter the memories of Muggles who found out about magic. But it wasn't the case, it would seem that little did the Wizarding World knew, as much as they tried to hide the fact that magic was real, it would seem that the Criminal World knew more than the Wizarding World knew. So Harry was able to do more much easier than he first thought.

It had it rough patches at the start, but that was slowly dealt with. Sure at the moment people could easily find them, if they wanted to, even if they had removed everything before entering the Asylum. They could use spell on the person, or put a magical item into their body, they could still be found. Luckily they haven't been found yet, and if they did, whoever found them haven't done anything yet. But that should be dealt with before the main Underground Asylum opened.

As Maverick, he worked with the Gringotts on an idea he had, that would block someone's power as long as they wore it. He got the idea from watch an episode of X-Men, in it the government invented a collar that blocks mutant powers. But the problem was that people wouldn't wear such an item without a good reason, which is why he was working with the Goblins. Harry had an idea which would make it so they had to wear it if they want to enter the Asylum, and helped him with another problem: cheaters.

At the moment they would enter the Meeting Chamber, they would pay and change in another set of clothes and wear a mask to protect them, and leave everything, even their wands, in a sealed container that only that person could use. Then once they entered the Asylum, they got their chips from the counters and played the games. The thing is that those who were Mystics and was able to use Wandless Magic, could still cheat and steal from others. This was why Harry could explain why they would have to wear such an item, apart for stopping any magical tracking items, it would stop any cheating and theft.

And Harry got an idea from hearing about an item that sometimes used in games or a comic, he couldn't remember where, that kept track of the money the person used and gained. They would have to scan the item over a scanner to add money to the item, or to use it. So if he could copy this item, and combine it so that people can't use any sort of magic, he was sure people would wear it if they wanted to keep going to Underground Asylum. And seeing that they can only enter at relay points that Blink decided on, his punters know that they wouldn't be busted by the police easily, unlike other illegal places that they went to. And it was a much better set up to for them to, as many underground betting places wasn't as it used to be. Underground betting places used to have music, women, drinking and so more, like the Asylum had, but because of tighter policing, they had to do what they wanted in dark and gloomy places.

Blink was a God send, she was the same age as Charlotte, but she had purple skin and hair, as she liked the character Blink so much that her magic turned her skin to look like the character. But not only did she have the power of Blink, she had a few powers of Psylocke from the X-Men Comics, at the moment she was able to use the Telekinesis Abilities that Psylocke had, such as Force Fields and Telekinetic Weapons - which come out purple. Up 'til recently, she didn't bother with learning Psylocke's Telepathy Abilities, as she wanted to learn skills that would able to protect her. But now she had said skills, she had began to see if she could learn Psylocke's Telepathy Abilities.

Because of this, Charlotte's and Blink's former clients, and their friends clients, who were the first lot to come to Underground Asylum, told their friends that they trusted about the place. And over time more and more people came, and over time they had to make the temporary Asylum bigger. Allowing them able to put more things into the temporary Asylum.

Back to Harry's idea, seeing that he didn't know how to combine the two ideas of his, he went to Gringotts for help. If they didn't know how to do it, they might know someone who could. Sadly they didn't know, they liked the idea of it, they agreed to put their researchers into making such an item. Harry got the feeling that they wanted to sell such an item to people, so he made a deal with them, if they were able to make the item, they had to give him as many of them as he wanted for free, and give him thirty percent of the sells. Surprisingly, they Goblins were more than enough happy to do so. So henceforth, Harry had another possible income coming to him. That was about a year ago that he talked to the Goblins about it, and it would seem that they were close into making them, about another few months or so. Which made Harry happy, as until such time, he couldn't open the main Asylum, which would allow him to offer his punters more.

On a personal note about the Asylum, as Maverick, Charlotte had him have at least two woman by his side at all time, who only wear black lace knickers. Charlotte explained that this was because it would show who owned Asylum, and the importance he was to the place. And on the word of Bowser, he had two enforcers who were Mystics following him, so that should fights start up, they could deal with it. It didn't mean that as Maverick, Harry didn't do anything, people knew him as an Earth Mystic, who used his powers should he have to. This was Harry's and Charlotte's idea, as it would make people think that it was Harry who created the Asylum, and so shouldn't be bothered with.

As the years passed since the Asylum opened, the Asylum and the name Maverick gained a good reputation. Because Maverick the boss of the Underground Asylum, where people could go and bet and pay for sex without the police getting at them. And because there were a few private rooms, they could have meetings without fear of others finding out what was being said. This was one of the reasons why so many came to Underground Asylum, they could do what they like - as long as they don't make problems for the establishment - and not worry getting caught. Harry couldn't wait for the Goblins to finish the item that would block people using magic, as he then could open up the main Underground Asylum, and get more people in.

Now when he wasn't running the Asylum, doing school work, or working on the main Asylum, he was training with Lucy and Charlotte. He kept up with his old training, mainly his shapeshifting, invisibility (which he now could be fully invisible for about an hour.) Also he was working on his earth abilities (which he could do almost everything that Charlotte could do but he was not as powerful,) and his fire abilities. One of his fire abilities he was working on, was his Pyroportation, or better known as Fire Teleportation, and Jumping Skills: for his Jumping ability, he was now Jump to France and Ireland, he suspected he could go anyway if he wanted to, but seeing that he had no reason at the moment he didn't try.

As for his training with Pyroportation, Harry was able to do so with a few months after the Asylum was opened, but it was only with a few meters of where he was. Harry was able to gain the ability about three months after Asylum was opened. To begin with Harry was only able to fire teleport about five metres from where he was, but over time he was able to teleport feather and feather away.

Another ability he was working on, was how to make weapons out of fire, like swords and axes. It was within the last few months he also decided that spamming fireballs, and other projection attacks was both wasteful and not very useful when people got up close and personal in a fight. So he decided to make his fire ability so he can fight in close range fights, the most he could do right now was a small digger.

He wasn't only training on his old skills, but he had started to learn a few of the new ones that he wanted to learn for a while now. The first was learning to fly as he wanted to do for some time: it took a while but he he learnt that if he manipulated his fire right, he was able to fly; just like the the Human Torch from the Fantastic Four comics. It took some time, but before his tenth birthday Harry had learned how to fly without any mishaps. He could never get very high, since he didn't want to be spotted, but he did it whenever he could get away with it; he felt free, alive, in the air. It was like he was born to be in the air.

Next, he finally started to learn to transform into something like the Ghost Rider. He started off small, his tiny toe, as if couldn't turn it back, no one would be able to see it. After months of training, and Lucy and Charlotte encouraging him, Harry was able to transform his whole leg into a skeleton leg. It took a while to get used to walk on it, but when he could he did he learnt he started on his other leg. Over time Harry was able to transform both his legs and arms into only bone, he had yet started his head or body yet, as he didn't have the courage to do so. The reason for it was because the head or body held the important parts of him that kept him living, and until he could find a way to learn a way to transform without the risk of dying he wasn't going to do more just yet.

Anyway, other than learning his Ghost Rider's powers, he begun to learn a few demonic powers to go with them. It was before his tenth birthday, and at first Harry wasn't sure which demonic power to pick, after talking about it, Lucy decided it was for the best that he tries to summon demonic creatures. She explained that whilst he'll gain followers and allies in the future, before that and even after finding them, he'll often find himself fighting alone and need someone to back him up, and so being able to summon demonic creatures help with that.

So when Harry got the time when he wasn't training his other skills, Harry tried to summon a demonic creature. It took a while seeing that he had a lot on his plate, but by the end of last month, he was able to summon two skeleton warriors to his side. He just wished his sister was here to see it.

Magical training was the only thing that Harry was learning, he was learning to street fight on the advice of Bowser. The former Pit Boss emphasised that Harry should learn how to fight without magic, as one day he might run into someone who is either stronger than him, or for whatever reason, he could not use his magic. Harry had to admit that the former Pit Boss had a point, and so agreed to have one of Bowser's friends train him in street fighting when he got the time.

All things said though, there is an old saying, all good things come to an end, and in Harry's case, the good time with his sister had came to an end. You see like all imaginary friends, over time the often slowly disappears - just like Lucy did.

You see since the Underground Asylum opened, over the next year and a half, Harry was either busy with school, training or running the Asylum. Because of this, Harry was so caught up in everything that was happening that he didn't realize her advice becoming less and less frequent and she was appearing less and less. He only thought she was talking to either Charlotte or their new friend Blink, who after being friends with Harry for a few months could see her.

It wasn't until Harry woke up on his tenth birthday and didn't hear his sister's customary good morning and birthday greeting that he realized what was happening; he was devastated at this. With Lucy, he wouldn't be where he was today, he wouldn't have found out about his powers, have a healthy body, had friends, or even own Asylum. So it was no wonder that he was devastated, Lucy was everything to him and now she was gone.

But with the thanks to Charlotte, Blink and Bowser, he was eventually able to recover from losing Lucy. But he would often think back to the times with his imaginary sister fondly. Those times that he wasn't alone, those were good times. Even now he would use what he thought she would do in the situations he found himself in to get out of trouble.

She was the one who helped and give him the confidence to mould to his sly and smart side, giving him the idea to keep things from people, teaching him how to lie convincingly and with the help of Charlotte, help him create the Underground Asylum.

The ability to lie convincingly was a useful skill to have, and it came in handy many times when his pyromaniac tenancies got the best of him, now that he didn't have a sister to caution him against such behaviour, and he was found at the scene of a fire more often. Sure he had the others, but they won't Lucy who had a bit power on controlling his behaviour when he got out of hand.

The Mystic Knights came round the area to find the 'Mysterious Firebomber,' a name that the papers began to call him for the jobs he did for people who wanted their insurance money. At first they didn't think it was him, but seeing that he was at the scene of the fires more often, and knowing he was a Fire Mystic, they began to question him. But thanks to no proof being left that he had anything to do with the fires, they couldn't do anything to him at the moment.

Either way time passed about a few weeks before eleventh birthday, he got a Hogwarts letter that he was suspecting he would get. At first he wasn't sure how to handle the letter, should he send a reply or not, and if so, how should he reply to it. Harry knew that it was most likely Dumbledore that sent him to his aunt's and uncle's if what he found out was true, and if so he would most than likely knew how he would be treated and suspect and hoping that Harry wouldn't learn much about magic. So this way he could send someone to rescue him, and bring him into the Wizarding World. It didn't help that the letter didn't tell him where to get his things, and how to reply when there was no owl waiting for him with said reply. Making Harry wonder what to do… should he go to Hogwarts or not, if he couldn't trust the Headmaster.

After talking to Charlotte, Blink and Bowser, it was decided that it was for the best to go to Hogwarts, so he could gain allies from his own age range. The problem was how to handle Dumbledore, as they didn't what his plans were for Harry. It was after getting the same letter in two days in a row, they knew something was up, as normally they would not send a second letter so soon. So it was either wait until Dumbledore had enough of sending letters until he sent someone to get Harry, or send a reply now.

After the third day of three letters appearing, it was decided that Harry should reply, informing the Headmaster he would be coming. But at the same time, informing the Headmaster that he didn't trust him, this is so that the old man knew where each other stood.

It was about two days later that Harry got a letter from Albus Dumbledore, saying that he could send someone to take him into Diagon Alley on his birthday. He couldn't send someone sooner, as everyone who could do so, was busy and couldn't help until then.

So here he was, waiting for whoever would be picking him up to take him to Diagon Alley, when there was a loud thumping sound, and the room felt like it was in a small earthquake. Standing up Harry went, to the door to see who did this.

As Harry opened the door, he saw a giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair. Harry was somewhat amazed at the size of the man, and had to wonder if he was a half-giant he read about in one of the books he got from Diagon Alley one time.

"Can I help you sir?" asked Harry. He suspected that he was the one who was picking him up to take him to Diagon Alley, but he wanted to make sure it was.

"Greetings, I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." introduced the man giant.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the sixth and final part of the Harry's Childhood Saga, I hope you have enjoyed this saga, I would like to thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. I know that some of you might think that this saga was boring, and I'll admit it was in a way, but I was setting up things for Harry's time at Hogwarts and what is going to happen during the next few years there.

I hope what I have done with the chapter, and how I set things up in the story. I'm still looking for OC Mystics, and if you were reading the side story, I'm looking for OC Books of Zeref's: Etherious. If you can help me, please let me know of any ideas you might have. Any that I like, I'll use in this story and give you thanks for them.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story.

_**Next time on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**___Next time on Overlord Vulcan, it'll be an interlude about Dumbledore, and his thoughts about the Mystics, and how they had changed things and they have affected his plans so far.

_**Beta Reader Needed:**_ I'm looking for a Beta Reader to help me, if you are good at spellings, grammar and sentence structure, please let me know ASAP, as I need the help. So if you're interested in helping me please let me know, I'm also after someone who can help with coming up with original ideas and plots - this bit is optional. Also if it is possible, I'm looking for someone who'll can help add and remove things from the story to make it better, and not someone who'll just do one or two words here and there.


	8. Interlude - Albus Dumbledore - Part 1

_**Author's Note:**_ Before starting, I would like to ask once again that you read the side-story, as I'm going to be making some references from it, so you might not understand a few thing unless you read the side story, so please read it. If nothing else read the chapters six to eight, as it'll explain about Voldemort's past and a few things of interest.

_**Interlude…**_

_**Albus Dumbledore!**_

_31st July 2011 - Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office:_

Our chapters start at Hogwarts, where in the Headmaster's Office we find Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, seating in his chair thinking about the past and his plans so far.

A lot has changed within nearly the last forty years, for one thing the Mystics came along, and almost changed everything that Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic tried to keep the same. Their thoughts was if not broke why fix not, not realizing how much the Muggle World had advanced over the years.

Albus Dumbledore could remember the twins that changed it all, Jennifer and Kimberly Carter. They were the most skilled and powerful Muggle-Borns he ever seen, they were even able to keep him out of their mind and he was a Master Legilimens, and was able to read anyone's minds until they came along. At the time he didn't think much about it, he just thought they were a natural Occlumens who were born with natural shields, it was rare, but they did appear every now and then. He never thought they had such skills to use, who over time would create the Mystics and change the world.

Oh don't get him wrong, he wasn't too bothered about change that much, or that people using magic differently. In fact he wasn't happy that people had their memories altered and that their powers blocked if they didn't agree with the Ministry of Magic way of doing things. But at the same time, he believed that such things should be done slowly, and not all at once like the Carter Twins wanted to do it. But with the help of a Mage from Earthland, they were able to create the Mystics and started the change in the Wizarding World.

With the wake of the Mystic, more and more of their kind appeared seeing that the Ministry of Magic couldn't alter the memories and block people's magic if they trained differently. However, at the same time the Mystics had their own island where they could learn and train their power, something the Ministry of Magic found useful, as they wouldn't have to deal with as many Muggleborns as before unless they wanted to go to Hogwarts as well. All in all, it wasn't all of a bad thing at first.

But then the changes begin, the Mystics thought that change was needed within the Wizarding World, and done so without consideration as to what everyone else thought. Although they did try and keep things as magical as possible, so that it wouldn't be too much of shock to people. To do this they used a magical item from Earthland called Lacrima, one use for this item was call Lacrima-Vision, where people could watch the News and the Quidditch on it. And over time, they had other shows on it too.

If that was the limit of the changes from the Mystics, Dumbledore didn't think the British Ministry of Magic would have mind, but the Mystics wanted to change more. Using magic and Muggle technology together, this is where things got bad, so far nothing happened, but not without a fight. The only reason that the Mystic didn't get their way, was because the Ministry of Magic put roadblocks in the way to stop this, something Albus agreed with. Albus was fine with change, but only slowly and if possible with him or someone he trusted was leading said change.

Anyway, another change since the Mystics came to be was that demons seemed to appear. Albus nor the Ministry of Magic knew how they came about, believing that they were either sealed away, or in hiding, but they suspected the Mystics were the reason behind the demons reappearing - something that out them more in the bad books with the Wizarding World.

Problems with the Mystics included the Dark Mystics, those who used their powers to make trouble for the Wizarding World, and the rest of the world. Albus was grateful though that the Carter Twins created the Mystic Knight to deal with this problem, as he couldn't see the Ministry of Magic being able to fight the Dark Mystics at when they appeared.

Another thing that changed was that with the Mystics coming to be, the Ministry of Magic had to find a way to fight them, and so they had to ask help with the Temple of Circe, an ancient group of magic users, who researched new magic, and learn where magic came to be - a bit like the Ministry of Magic Unspeakables. Only the Unspeakables, the Minister of Magic, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, knew about them about them.

Two powers came from the Temple, the first was Symbology, which was like runes, the study and use of symbols. But with Symbology, it has more wide array of effects, such as dealing elemental damage to foes, healing allies or granting bonuses or ailments on characters and enemies. A person also could summon up magical creatures, to fight a side of them.

The second was known as Materia, a Materia was an item that allowed a person to cast spells, summon, and new abilities that allowed someone boost one's (or others) speed, defence and such. Although anyone could use these items, the Ministry of Magic made sure that they could only get one if they attended a Magical School, and could be sent to prison if you were caught having one and didn't that the right to. Whilst limited in some ways compared to Symbology, the summoning creatures were, whilst few, were powerful. (Dumbledore knew both Materia and Symbology.)

Although the Mystics had altered many things, Dumbledore was happy they came about, as without them he couldn't see the Wizarding World lasting the last war with Voldemort. As somehow, the Dark Lord Voldemort was able to learn a Earthland magic known as Darkness Magic, which allowed a person to control the shadows and the darkness around them. So without the Mystics, the Wizarding World wouldn't have lasted for long.

Even if they helped in the war, many still didn't agree with them or liked them, as a Dark Mystic group known as the Acolytes joined Voldemort in his war. Even though the Mystics helped saved many lives in the war, because they existed, so did the Acolytes and the Wizarding World was not happy about this.

But Albus Dumbledore had his own reason for disliking the Mystics other than changing the Wizarding World too fast too soon, and creating problems for only existing: like the Dark Mystics. His problem with them was that they ruined his plans, the plans for the Greater Good.

He wasn't upset that Voldemort came to be, other than having a power that tipped the scales for a while, it helped with his plans. He needed another Dark Lord to defeat so that he could put his plans into action, a plan to change the world in the way _he _wanted, and to be greater than Merlin himself. But with the Mystics in the picture, that was now went down the drain.

Even defeating Voldemort and savage some of his plans went down the drain too, as he wasn't the one to defeat Voldemort, but a child by the name of Harry Potter did. It all started about over a year ago, when a prophecy stating that a child born when July ends would have the power to defeat the Dark Lord, and only he would be able to do so. And the parents would be those who got in Voldemort's plans three times and lived. This upset Albus, as he couldn't be the one that defeat the new Dark Lord. There was only two families at the time that fit the bill: the Potters and the Longbottoms.

So seeing that he wasn't able to defeat the Dark Lord himself, he would use whoever filled the prophecy. He knew he would have to deal with the parents of the children, as they wouldn't agree with his plans, so they would most like have to die in an _accident_ or some other way. It was easier than he thought possible, he knew that Peter Pettigrew was a spy within the Order for Voldemort. But Peter unknowingly was his spy with the Death Eaters camp, and so no need to remove him.

When he told the Potters and the Longbottoms about the prophecy, he told them that they had to hide. He did this as he wanted to set up the Potters, to see if their son was the one in the prophecy. When he learnt that Sirius Black, their close and best friend, was going to be the Potter's Secret Keeper, he used a few spells to change that to Pettigrew. This give Peter the chance to tell his Master where the Potters were hiding, and then all Albus had to wait for the Dark Lord to attack the Potters. As for the Longbottoms, they would be more of a problem. He would need to think of something for them once he learns about if Harry Potter was the child of the prophecy or not.

But things didn't go to plan, yes the Dark Lord killed the Potters, but somehow wasn't able to kill Harry Potter, making him the Boy-Who-Lived. But the thing that didn't go to plan was that the Longbottoms were still alive, and he wasn't sure how. He had leaked the information about the Longbottoms being out of hiding to the Lestrange, but somehow the Aurors got a tip off about the attack that the Lestranges, apart for Bellatrix, and Bartemius Crouch Jr and was arrested sent to Azkaban. With the help of the Malfoys, Bellatrix escaped Azkaban, and was able to stay with her daughter Anastasia and rise her. It wasn't what he would have liked to happen, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Then there was the problem with the Longbottoms, they were still alive and healthy, he could not make a move on them. Since the attack on them, the Aurors put a 24/7 watch on them, for the next few years, just in case another Death Eater attacked. Whilst they didn't know the full story, they did know that Neville Longbottom would be the target of the attacks. So it was decided by Madam Amelia Bones, the new and one of the very few witches in high power, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, that when Neville was old enough he should learn the basics of defending himself so that should another attack happen to him. This way he would be able to defend himself long enough for help to arrive.

But with the Longbottoms alive though, created another problem, and that was that Harry Potter should have went to them as Alice Longbottom was his Godmother. With Sirius Black, who was Harry's Godfather, in Azkaban, Harry was meant to go Alice should the Potters die if Black was unable to. It took some convincing, and some spell work, but he was able to convince everyone for Harry's safety and that of Neville Longbottom's, it was best that Harry stayed out of the Wizarding World. As he would have a target painted on his back, and many Death Eaters would like nothing more to get revenge on the young Potter Baby for what he did to their Lord and Master.

At least his plans to mould Harry Potter into a weapon to defeat Voldemort whenever he should return, was still in place. Albus knew that the person once known as Tom Riddle, had taken action so that he could not die easily, and was still out there somewhere, weak, powerless and without anyone helping. But it would be only matter of time before that would change, and Dumbledore had to work out how what actions that Riddle done and undo them so that Potter could defeat the Dark Lord. And if Albus was able to mould the kid rightly, either take his place to work on the Greater Good, and if he couldn't mould Harry, he would arrange it so the young man dies after killing the Dark Lord.

So far he thought that his plans for young Harry Potter was working, no one knew where he was, and should they look for him, Albus had set up spells and wards so it would be near impossible to find him. And seeing that Albus sent Harry to Vernon and Petunia Dursley, his only know family, the old Headmaster would not tell Harry about his magical heritage, as they hated anything related to magic. And because of their hatred of magic, they would not treat the young kindly and would keep him weak and friendless, so it would be easy for him to come in and look like the hero who rescued him. Harry would look up to him, and would do whatever in return as thanks.

However though, it would seem that Albus's plans for Potter was ruined, and he would have to rethink his plans, as if the latter that he got from was right, not only did young Harry Potter knew about magic, but he didn't trust him. Albus picked up the letter he got a few weeks ago from his desk, and reread it for what felt like the hundredth time.

_Dear Headmaster Dumbledore. _

_I've received your second letter that came a day later after receiving the first, after talking about it with a few people that knows about magic, it was decided I should reply to it now instead of waiting for God knows how many you might have sent. But was also decided that other than informing you I would be attending Hogwarts, I should also tell you where I stand with you, so it is all in the open so to be speak. _

_You see whilst I've known I could do magic since March 2007, it wasn't until March 2008 when I was attacked by some Witch Hunters and saved by the Mystics, that I found out about the Wizarding World, and your part of sending me to the Dursley, and me being the Boy-Who-Lived. I always wondered why the Dursleys kept me around, and it wasn't until I learnt about the Wizarding World that I asked them about it. Whilst they weren't too happy about it, wanting to forget the they were forced to have me, I read the letter that you left with me. Whilst I don't like it, I do understand why you did so._

_However though, that doesn't mean I can trust you though, no matter the reason behind it. Leaving a child who's not even two at the time on the doorstep on the cold night of November night, does not give me a good impression of you. Not only could have been killed by the cold, I could have been easily kidnapped by someone. And then there was the fact that not once in all these years did you visit me to see if I was okay, not only does this give me another bad impression of you, it makes me think that you don't care about me. This is the reason I don't trust you, if this is something you can do to a child you meant to keep safe, I have no idea what kind of things you can do in the future. _

_That doesn't mean I'm not willing to work with you in the future, as from what I heard from the Mystics, there are many who believe that seeing there was no body, this Lord Voldemort character is out there somewhere. And seeing that I was the one that stopped him in the last war, should he ever return, he would more than likely come after me. Just to prove that it was a flock that I defeated him, as if nothing more, he can't let me live, it would make him look bad otherwise. In which case, I'm willing to work _with _you against him. Whilst I'll work with you, it doesn't mean I'll follow you blindly, as I said I don't fully trust you, you'll need to work on gaining that trust. _

_Anyway, other than letting you know where we stand with each other, I'm writing to ask to send someone to get my things and answer any questions I might have about Hogwarts and the Wizarding World. Whilst I might know of it for the last few years, I have been busy with training myself so that I can defend myself should I have to. Because of this, going to school and doing a few other personal things, I haven't been able to learn more about Hogwarts or about the Wizarding World, and would like someone who can explain things that might come up. So I hope you can send someone who can answer my questions, and help me get my things. _

_I would like to thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you soon. _

_Yours sincerely, _

_Harry Potter. _

When Albus first read this letter, he felt at unease, as although Potter didn't say in the letter, it would seem that he had become a Mystic. Sure there was a risk of it happening, that's why he sent the young child to the Dursleys, so that he wouldn't even think about doing magic. But it would seem that it wasn't the case, what is worse is that Harry Potter has learnt about the Wizarding World and that he was the Boy-Who-Lived. This wasn't what he wanted, he needed Potter to be weak, unknowing of the Wizarding World and relying on him for everything.

It was thanks to the Witch Hunters that Potter learnt about the Wizarding World, if they won't involved, then the Mystics would have to save Harry and so he wouldn't have learnt about the Wizarding World. Not only that, but during these years Potter had found people who he could trust and rely on. And because of his actions of how he left Potter at the Dursleys, and not visiting over the years has now given Harry and those he trust a reason not to trust him. At least Potter was willing to work with him and allow him to build the trust between them, but it would be hard seeing that Potter had others to rely on. He would now have to rethink his plans, seeing that his old ones relied on Potter trusting him blindly - which was now impossible.

Although it wasn't all of a loose, whilst he didn't know why the Boy-Who-Lived's letter was sent weeks before he had planned, it didn't stop his first plan for the boy: Hagrid. His original plan was to send letters over a week before his birthday, believing that Potter wouldn't get them, and then send Hagrid to retrieve the young boy, and taking him to Diagon Alley. There he would be taken to Gringotts to get his money, and with luck when Hagrid the package, although Hagrid didn't it was the Philosopher's Stone, for him, Potter would get interested in what the package. And if Potter did, he would find out that the package was the Philosopher's Stone, and try to solve the tests that he (Albus) set for him. Not only that but also limit Harry from finding out too much about the Wizarding World.

For now all Albus could do at that time was to send a letter to Potter and inform him that he couldn't send anyone to take his things and answer his questions until the end of month, and then send Hagrid to do the first part of the plan. Send Hagrid to get Harry, get the Philosopher's Stone and see if he could get Harry interested in the item that the half-giant would get, and try and limit what Harry finding out about the Wizarding World. It was possible that Harry already knew more than Dumbledore would have liked, seeing that Potter knew he was the Boy-Who-Lived, but he wanted to limit as much as he could. But at the same time he sent Hagrid to find out what Potter knew, and what powers he had already - he wanted to see if Potter was a Mystic or a Wandless Magic User.

So he was, he had sent Hagrid off to Privet Drive a that morning, and he was waiting for the half-giant to return and see what he learnt about Harry. As he wait there and thought about his plans for the coming year for Harry, and counter plans if his first plans didn't work, when there was a knock on the door. Thanks to the wards that he set up on the door, he knew who it was and called out, "Come in Hagrid."

The half-giant entered the office, and placed the package that he brought back from Gringotts onto the table, as he said, "Hey Headmaster, I've got the package tha' yeh sen' me ter get."

"Thank you Hagrid," Albus said with a smile, "you have been a great help with getting the Stone for me, I was too busy to get it myself."

"No problem Headmaster, I was happy ter help." said Hagrid.

"Good, now could you tell me what did you think of young Harry?" Albus asked with interest, wanting to know how much damage control he need to deal with.

"From what I can, he is a polite and smar' young boy," Hagrid admitted fundly, "although he was shocked ter hear I was the one takin' him ter Diagon Alley, and not a professor. In fac' he asked me ter give yeh a letter."

"Oh really…" Dumbledore said with interest, as Hagrid give him a letter.

_Headmaster Dumbledore,_

_Sending a groundskeeper instead of a professor to get my things and answer my questions is strike one, so not think I know that it was some kind of set up. For what reason I do not know, but I know you are planning something, but I do not know what. So you know, you two more and you'll never be able to gain my trust. If you don't know what I mean by that seeing that the WIzarding World isn't up to date with Muggle sayings, it means that your first attempt to gain my trust has failed and you have three more attempts to try this. It doesn't mean that I won't work with you to stop Voldemort should he return, it would just means that I won't trust you._

_I'm not writing this to be rude or anything, but to let you know that I won't be walked over or be a made a fool of._

_Harry Potter._

"Hagrid, tell me what your day with Harry was like please." Dumbledore said to the half-giant, after reading this. He was was worried, and more so as Hagrid told him about his day. It would seem that Harry was more independent than Albus wanted, and from the letter he was strong willed too. It would seem that Harry didn't get the brother wand of Voldemort's wand either. It would seem that he would have to rethink his plans for Potter, even thinking about using potions and spells to control the boy.

So once Hagrid told him what happened that day, he sent the half-giant off, so he could think about his upcoming plans for Harry. Albus had a lot of thinking to do, as he had to be careful how he should handle Potter, as this wasn't the Harry Potter he was suspecting: a weak and mouldable child, who would be easy to control. No, he had to plan, and try and find out who these people Harry trusted and get rid of them, as they could become a problem later on. So for now he seat back and thought ahead to when Hogwarts start, where Harry would be here and so might be able to start his plans.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_31st July 2011 - No 4 Privet Drive - few hour earlier:_

As Harry opened the door, he saw a giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair. Harry was somewhat amazed at the size of the man, and had to wonder if he was a half-giant he read about in one of the books he got from Diagon Alley one time.

"Can I help you sir?" asked Harry. He suspected that he was the one who was picking him up to take him to Diagon Alley, but he wanted to make sure it was.

"Greetings, I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." the man giant introduced himself.

'_What the hell? They sent me a damn groundskeeper to take me to Diagon Alley,'_ Harry thought in shock as the man giant introduced himself, _'why would they send a groundskeeper? I can't see him as someone who can answer my questions.' _But he had to play this carefully, whilst he showed that he didn't trust the Headmaster, that's because of the past between the two. He didn't want to show that he was ungrateful or anything like that, he needs to show he was willing to work with others for the Light, but at the same time he was not a walk over, like some weak naive child that he would have been if it wasn't for Lucy.

So being careful of what he said, Harry introduced himself, "Greetings, I'm Harry Potter, thank you for coming, please come in."

"Thanks Harry, I'm happy ter see you again. The las' time I saw yeh, yeh was only a baby when I lef' yeh here," said Rubeus, as Harry lead the man into the living room. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yet mom's eyes."

Harry had to hold his anger when he heard this, this giant was the reason for life on earth for the first few years before Lucy came along. If he didn't think there was more to this story, he would have most likely summoned a flame digger and tried to stab him. But he knew he had to act a certain way, otherwise his plans would be for nothing.

As he lead the giant into the living room, Rubeus said, "Anyway, Harry before we begin, I would wish yeh a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here - I migh'a sat on it at some poin', but it'll taste all righ'." From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.

Anyway, as the giant seat down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight. As he seat down Harry asked, "Thank you Mr. Hagrid, but can you tell me why a groundskeeper of all people is here instead of a teacher? I mean you no disrespect, but wouldn't a professor be able tell me more about Hogwarts and its classes than you can?"

"Please call me Hagrid," he said kindly, "everyone does. And I'm here as all the other professors are busy with sortin' things out for the star' of term."

Suddenly things began to smell as a setup to Harry, a setup to what he wasn't sure, but he could tell that this Hagrid wasn't all that smart and his role for him being at the Dursleys, was someone else's idea: most likely Dumbledore. For now though, he would play the kind hearted person, and see what happens and see if this half-giant could be any use to him if he played things right.

Than before Harry could say much, Hagrid said, "Anyway, best be Off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."

Making sure that everything was fine at the house, didn't want the Dursleys to bother him about it when he get back, Harry got his things and left with Hagrid who had a Portkey with him. One of Harry's less favourite ways of travel, he had use it once with dealing with the Goblins. After the first time making him ill, it was arranged with Goblins that Harry would be allowed to use his own way of travel to meet up with them.

Once Harry got to the landing point, he found himself with the familiar dark and shabby place that was Leaky Cauldron. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they saw them. It would seem everyone there seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and Tom the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"

"Can', Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle, knocking the hood that Harry was wearing off, "takin' young Harry Potter ter get his things."

Harry could only moan at this, the reason for the hood was to make sure no one would recognise him.

"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "can this be really be him?"

The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent, this is what Harry wanted to avoid, people staring at him and making a fuss of him. Sure he didn't mind the fame, and what comes with it, but he wanted to do this slowly. So far he was able to avoid all this, making sure that he wore a hood before coming here.

"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter... what an honour."

He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."

Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming. Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron. If it wasn't for keeping up his idea of being a kind hearted kid, he would have made sure they all found out how he felt about this.

"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."

"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."

"Always wanted to shake your hand - I'm all of a flutter."

"Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."

"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. He recognised him before he learnt about the Wizarding World, and had wondered why a man would bow at him, and without thinking he said, "You bowed to me once in a shop."

"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!" Harry shook hands again and again - Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.

A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.

"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p- pleased I am to meet you."

"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"

"D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.

But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.

"Mus' get on - lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."

Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.

Hagrid grinned at Harry.

"Was that Professor Quirrell always been that nervous?" asked Harry, wondering why he was teaching such a subject like Defence, from what he understood about the class, you needed someone who was brave and didn't stutter.

"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience… they say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag - never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject now, where's me umbrella?"

Harry was wondering he was still teaching as Hagrid, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.

"Three up... two across…" he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry."

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.

The brick he had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider - a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the the first of the Interlude, I would like to thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. I'll admit that this wasn't my best chapter so far, and that I am sorry, but I hope you like it anyway. I'm thinking to do an Interlude at the end of each saga with Dumbledore thinking about the past year, so that unless it is part of the story or important, we won't be seeing much of him until the end of the year.

I hope what I have done with the chapter, and how I set things up in the story. I'm still looking for OC Mystics, and if you were reading the side story, I'm looking for OC Books of Zeref's: Etherious. If you can help me, please let me know of any ideas you might have. Any that I like, I'll use in this story and give you thanks for them.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story. I'm also looking for ideas as to what can happen during the year, as I want to draw out the first year instead of doing two chapters for it.

_**Next time on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**___Next time on Overlord Vulcan, the new saga called The Blood Stone begins. In the next chapter we finally get start getting back to the original story, with a few things from the last few chapters thrown in to keep things connected to it. In the first chapter of the saga we see Harry at Diagon Alley, where Harry not only does he get his things, but meets up with Draco Malfoy, and gets Aneira the Ice Tigran. (If you got any ideas that you would like to see happen in the first year, I would like to hear them, as I want a few chapters for the first year.)

Here's the new names for the Underground Asylum so far, if you can think of more please let me know:

Elysium

Underworld Entertainment

The Abyss

'The Seventh Circle'

Shinmai Maou no Testament


	9. Chapter 7 - The Blood Stone - Part 1

_**Author's Note:**_ Before starting, I would like to inform you that most of this used to be a flashback in the original version of Overlord Vulcan. But instead I've made this into its own chapter, as I'm trying to make the sages have at least more than three chapters to each saga. So if there's anything I should add to this first year, please let me know and I'll try and add it.

_**Chapter Seven… **_

_**The Blood Stone - Part 1!**_

_**(Diagon Alley!)**_

_31st of July - Diagon Alley:_

Even though he had been here a few times over the last few years, he was still amazed by the place with the going ons, and the noise that goes on here. Even now he wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad…"

A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand - the fastest brooms ever -" Whilst Harry could fly by himself, and had no real interest in brooms, he did know two girls that was interested in flying with him, so he might look into getting the new brooms for them. As he walked by the shop that sells robes, and he still didn't understand where the Wizarding World could come up to date in clothing, he thought that robes were stupid. But as he passed the shops selling telescopes and potion ingredients, Harry made a mental note he would get these along with spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…

"Gringotts." Hagrid called out, returning Harry to the present.

They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. As usual standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, were the Goblin Guards.

As Harry walked through the doors, he bowed to the guards. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

"Never did that rhyme," Harry admitted to Hagrid, "seen it a few times, and never did understand what it meant."

"Neither did I ter be hones' with yeh," Hagrid admitted, "other 'n yeh would be mad to steal from 'em."

"On that I agree with you," Harry said honestly. He had seen the protections that the Goblins set up to protect the vaults. other than wards, they had dragons protecting them too. Only a fool would ever try to steal from the Goblins, or someone who was very powerful and had no fear of what the Goblins would do to them if they caught someone trying to steal from them.

A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.

"Mornin'," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's Vault."

"You have his key, Sir?"

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, before Harry could say anything, he saw Hagrid emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The Goblin wrinkled his nose.

Harry on the other hand said, as he took a tiny golden key from his pocket, "Don't bother Hagrid, I got a new key when I visited the bank years ago. But how come you got my key?"

As the Goblin looked at the key closely, to make sure it was the real thing, Hagrid said, "Professor Dumbledore give it to me, he said that yer parents give it ter him to look after."

"That seems to be in order." said the Goblin as Harry was wondering why this Dumbledore character had his vault key in the first place, and wondered if his parents really did give him the key to look after or not. And if not, then what was he planning to do with the key if he hadn't get a new one all those years ago.

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, breaking through Harry's thoughts, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."

The goblin read the letter carefully.

"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have Someone take you down to both the vaults. Griphook!"

Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.

"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked in interest.

"Can' tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n me job's worth ter tell yeh that."

Griphook held the door open for them, leading them down a narrow stone passageway, lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in - Hagrid with some difficulty - and were off.

At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried yet again to remember, the way. left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was still impossible for him to do so. He was somewhat good at remember things, might take a few tries but he would remember in the end. But here, he could not and was wondering if there was some kind of magic to stop people remembering, so making it harder to steal from them.

They plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor. "I've always wondered," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, as he had a sudden thought come to him, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"

"Stalagmite's got a 'm' in it," said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."

He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside Harry's Trust Vault, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.

Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, allowing Harry to see his money. Harry entered his vault, and piled some of his money into a bag - a little more than normal, as he would be going to Hogwarts this year and wasn't sure if he would need anything whilst at Hogwarts, or they had some sort of shops for the students seeing it was a boarding school.

As they left the vault, Hagrid turned to Griphook and said, "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"

"One speed only." said Griphook. Although Harry could have sworn he saw the Goblin smirk, as if he enjoyed seeing Hagrid suffer.

They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.

Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.

"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.

"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.

"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked. He never seen this sort of security before.

"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.

Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least - but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.

"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don' talk to me on the way back, it's bes' if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.

One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts, and Harry was trying to think where he should go first.

"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone.

As Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop, he looked around to see the shop had many mannequins with different kinds of robes adorning them. This was the first time he entered the place as he never felt the need to do so before. He also saw many shelves and glass cabinets as well as counters, all full of buttons, cloths and other item to make clothes.

As he was looking round he saw the person he suspected was Madam Malkin, she was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve. "Greetings dear, my name is Madam Malkin, are you Hogwarts too?" She asked just as Harry opened his mouth. "Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact," she explained to his slightly surprised face.

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.

"Hello," The boy said with an air of pompousness. "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes." Harry replied, wary of the boy, something about the way he held himself and acted seemed… off, like his politeness was fake.

"My name is Draco Malfoy, my father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands." The boy said in a bored, drawling voice. "Silly really, from what I've been told a wand picks the wizard, and not the other way around. Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow," he rambled.

The boy reminded Harry a lot of Dudley in the way he acted, he would bully his father or others until he got what he wanted, the only person he or his parents couldn't bully was Harry and that was thanks to his magic. So his brain instantly classified him as a bully, and someone to avoid if possible - the only difference between the two was one was a fat bastard and one was a thin bastard.

Oh he wasn't going to avoid him out of fear, he would kick his skinny ass if this boy got too much out of hand; no it was to avoid confrontation at his new school. He was famous and from what he knew of famous people on the telly, people watched their every move waiting for them to do something wrong and, when something happened, jumped on it, making life hard for that person. And with what he wanted to do, he would need avoid confrontation until he could learn to get away with it.

Before he could say anything, Draco asked, "Have you got your own broom?"

"No I haven't." He answered. Why would he need one when he could fly well enough on his own? He wasn't about to tell anybody about this though; he wasn't dense enough to think that what he could do was normal from what he'd seen so far. 'Why would someone confine themselves to flying a broom?' Harry mused to himself, 'Learning to fly without one would allow you to do more then you could on a broom.'

"Do you play Quidditch at all?"came the bully's second question.

"No."Harry said again, wondering what the hell Quidditch could be, maybe some kind of sport with the way this idiot asked him; he seemed to have that silly obsession in his tone that his uncle and loads of other people had for football.

"I do - Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my House, and I must say, I agree. Know what House you'll be in yet? I'm hoping to be Slytherin…" the pale-faced boy rambled on once again.

"Houses? Are they like some kind of dorms were people sleep and that?" Harry wondered. He was going to a boarding school, and he knew from hearing from people who go to other boarding schools that the students slept in dorms. Maybe Houses were just different wings of the building?

"Yes they are." Draco answered suspiciously. "Don't you know anything about Hogwarts?" he asked contemptuously.

"No, I only found out about Hogwarts today." Harry replied honestly, not liking the tone he took.

"Are you a Half-Blood or a Muggle." Draco said, spitting Muggle in disgust.

"What's a Half-Blood?" Harry inquired.

"You must be a Mudblood if you need to ask that." Draco sneered at Harry.

Harry noticed that Madam Malkin gasped in horror as she heard Draco said Mudblood. Making an assumption, he guessed this was something that shouldn't be said in polite company, like calling someone a bitch or bastard. It was likely a racial slur, which bumped Draco up to 'racist' on his mental checklist.

Harry remained silent, since this would likely be the last time he and the blond ever spoke civilly again he may as well let him say his piece. "A Half-Blood is someone who is born from a Pureblood, someone who can trace his magical line back at least ten centuries or so, unbroken of course." Draco explained. "Normally, it's a Blood Traitor having a kid with a Mudblood or a Muggle."

"Ah, in that case I don't know if I'm a Half-Blood or a… Mudblood as you call me, as my parents were killed when I was a baby, during the war against Vold-I mean You-Know-Who, and I was raised by Muggles. For all I know, I could be a Pureblood like you seem to be." Harry grinned internally at the other boy's rapid 180 after his words sunk in.

Draco paled, there were many Purebloods families that were killed during the last war and many of them were forced to live the awful Muggles, never knowing who they were. "My… my deepest apologies, I didn't think of it like that, I-I didn't realize." Draco back peddled. He knew that, should his father hear of this, he would surely get grounded for life for turning a possible Pureblood ally against their family.

For a moment, silence reigned between the two boys before Draco opened his mouth again, "Let me explain, at Hogwarts there are four houses where you live and sleep." Draco explained, hoping that if he could make up for his earlier mistake, he might be able to gain an ally. He never thought of asking who the black haired boy was, if he did, he would have acted differently. "The houses are Slytherin - this is the house I want to be in as it prides itself for traits in cunning, resourcefulness and ambition. And it wouldn't allow Mudbloods into it."

Hearing the bit about cunning, Harry had to hold in his scoff, if that is true about being cunning he didn't think that Draco would be in it. A truly cunning person would hide what he thought of others, and would only show what he truly thinks of a person once they learn about him.

"How disgusting, look at that man!" Draco said suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.

"Oh that's Hagrid." Harry said, holding in a smirk that he knew something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."

"Oh." Draco said thoughtfully. "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"

"He's the gamekeeper." Harry corrected easily. He really was starting to dislike this boy more and more, sure he was suspicious of him, why would someone send a gamekeeper to pick up a student, wouldn't a teacher be better? They would know more about the school he was going to than a gamekeeper would, then again a gamekeeper would know about the grounds and that could be useful to know if Hogwarts Grounds were as big as Harry thought it would be.

"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage - lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed," Draco continued with a condescending frown on his face.

"I think he's brilliant." Harry argued coldly. Inside he was smirking, with this bit of info about Hagrid often getting drunk he may be able to get info from him from time to time if he played his cards right. He knew that, more often than not, when someone gets drunk, they talk about things that they shouldn't. It would be worth his time to make friends with Hagrid.

"Do you?" Draco said with a slight sneer, forgetting that he was trying to make Harry an ally, "Why is he with you?"

"As I said my parents were killed, so the school sent him to pick me up and get my things." Getting sick of the boy's attitude he decided to rub his nose in his own shortcomings. "For someone who wants to be in the House for the cunning, you're not acting like someone for that House. In fact, if there was a House for the bold and foolish, then you would be a shoe-in."

"How dare you say I could be a Gryffindor!" Draco raged. "I'm not impulsive and foolish as them. What's your last name, I want to know who you are so I can tell my father about this insult…"

Before Harry could say something about Draco being a daddy's boy, Madam Malkin said to Draco, "That's you done, my dear."

Harry was glad to see Draco hop down from the footstool and leave, but not before Draco said as he left. "I'll be seeing you at Hogwarts, and a word of advice, be careful."

As Draco left, Madam Malkin spoke up. "I'm sorry about him dear, I'm ashamed to say that there are some people who think they're better than others because they've had magic longer than others." Madam Malkin gave a sad sigh. "And sadly the Malfoys are one such family, although Lord Malfoy, the father of that boy, knows how to keep it to himself. I wonder what happened to skip that skill in that child."

"No worries Madam Malkin, he's just a Daddy's Boy, I've dealt with them before." Harry said, getting a chuckled from Madam Malkin. "He thinks that his father can get him anything that he wants, and his father can sort it out for him. He'll be in for a rude awakening one day. So…"

It was about half an hour later, and Harry had gotten not only his Wizarding, but some new Muggle clothing for himself. Once he learned Madam Malkin could make these kinds of clothes for him he ordered himself some jeans, shirts and some other items. As he was ordering them, Madame Malkin gave him a lesson of what Mudblood meant; it implied that the individual has 'dirty blood' and it is considered extremely offensive. Harry was annoyed to say the least, but for the most part didn't care. It was an insult that he's never heard before, and thus, couldn't really bring himself to be offended when some stupid little shit referring to him as one. There was no context there, so the racial slur lacked any sort of weight.

After Madame Malkin, they went to get Harry's things from the Apothecary, Potage's Cauldron Shop, Scribbulus Everchanging Inks, a street peddler to get his telescope, and lastly Flourish &amp; Blotts. At Flourish &amp; Blotts, Harry had to fight Hagrid to get some of the books he wanted, like Curses and Counter Curses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian. There were a few other books that Harry wanted, but because it wasn't on the school list, Hagrid wouldn't allow it. Harry played the guilt card, saying that he wanted to learn everything that he could so he could make his parents proud of him, and he couldn't do that if he was forced not to learn. This softened Hagrid up and he allowed Harry to get the books he wanted. Harry was glad he brought his trunk with him, so he could put his things in it, otherwise he would have a lot of things to curry about.

Harry and Hagrid were outside of Apothecary and Hagrid was checking Harry's school list again to make sure there wasn't anything left apart from Harry's wand to purchase.

"Just yer wand left." Hagrid nodded to himself as he placed the parchment into his pocket again. "Oh yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."

"You don't have to-" Harry tried to tell him.

"I know I don't have to." Hagrid said with a smile, "But I want to… tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at, an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."

Twenty minutes later, they left the Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. As they left the shop, Harry expressed his gratitude. "Thanks Hagrid."

"Don' mention it." Hagrid replied happily, happy to have helped a student form a bond with an animal. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivander's left now; only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."

A magical wand… now this was what Harry had been really looking forward to. Sure he might be able to learn to do magic without one, but most of the wizards and witches that he'd read about had one, that or a staff. He thought that they all had one, as it made doing magic easier.

However, as they were heading towards Ollivander's Harry suddenly stopped outside of Magical Menagerie when he felt a pull from the shop. Hagrid stopped as well a few steps after his much shorter companion. "Are yeh ok 'Arry?"

"I'm fine Hagrid, I just felt some kind of… pull coming from this shop." Harry answered as he pointed at Magical Menagerie.

"A pull yeh say?" Hagrid said thoughtfully, he started to wonder if it was possible that young Harry might have felt a Familiar Pull, it was very unlikely because of Harry's age, but it wasn't impossible. He had heard stories where a person found their familiar at an early age, it was rare, but had happened before. "Why don' we go an' see if we can see wha' is pullin' at yeh?"

"Thanks Hagrid." Harry agreed before the two of them entered Magical Menagerie.

As the two of them entered the shop Harry saw many animals in cages and fenced areas. Below the cages were bags of feed and beddings, as well a few other miscellaneous items needed for the various species that the store sold. While Hagrid stayed near the door, so he wouldn't get near the cats, Harry was looking around. As he was doing so, Harry followed the pull on his magic towards the back of the shop.

As he got to the back, he saw a white kitten with black strips along its face and body. He felt the pull was coming from this kitten. As Harry was opening the case, the Sale's Wizard shouted out, "Stop right there kid, that's a dangerous animal."

However it was too late as the cage had already been opened, the cat jumped out and into Harry's arms. With the cat in his arms Harry turned back to look at the shop owner a tad condescendingly. He stroked the cat, causing it to purr; the very epitome of kitten cuteness. "He doesn't look that dangerous to me," Harry said coldly.

The Sale's Wizard looked at the scene in shock, "Impossible." He sputtered in shock and fright, "That damn thing attacked anyone that tried to buy it."

"What's wrong with him… or her?" Harry asked, wondering why the Sale's Wizard would be so frightened of a kitten.

The Sale's Wizard said, "Her, and that thing is an Ice Tigran, they're a race of powerful magical tigers."

"It doesn't look like a tiger to me, even a young one. More like a house cat really," he commented.

"That's because she's in her cat form and just a baby herself. All Tigrans have two forms, a cat form for stealth and their tiger form, which they use for fighting. In a few years, once it becomes an adult, and if it's powerful enough, it can gain a more human-like form. Often though, Tigrans with this ability don't bother using it for one reason or another. The Tigran have many different types, you can tell them apart from their fur colour. This one is from the ice tribe, granting it the ability to control ice to a degree."

Harry was impressed when he heard this, he was amazed that such creatures existed; he supposed he would have to get used to that feeling, he doubted the Magical World was through shocking him. He had to wonder if this Tigran would be fine with him when she found out he controlled fire. As from all the reading he had done, people or creatures don't often mix with the opposite element. Regardless though, it would either work out or it wouldn't, and as he thought about it he liked the idea of having such a creature, it could be useful down the line. "So how much is it for this Tigran?" Harry asked to the shock of the Sale's Wizard.

"W-what?! I can't sell it to some kid like you; it's too dangerous for you to handle." The clerk sputtered.

"Oh come on, are you crazy. Does this cute little thing look dangerous to you?" Harry asked as he tickled the kitten's belly, and to the shock of the Sale Wizard, the Tigran started to play with Harry's fingers.

"Im-impossible." The older wizard gasped. "She's attacked anyone who tried to hold it," the wizard repeated.

"Well I don't care, this little thing doesn't seem too bad to me. Either way, my magic pulled me to this little one and I won't be leaving without her." Harry said bluntly.

"Magic, pulled?" The Sale's Wizard said faintly, his eyes went wide as he realized what this could mean. "How old are you kid?"

"Eleven today." Harry replied distractedly as the kitten in his arms squirmed as Harry's fingers found the perfect spot to scratch. After years of looking after Figg's cats he knew where to scratch them to make them happy.

"Impossible. A Familiar Pull at the age of eleven, impossible." The man insisted, mostly to himself.

Growing annoyed at the man's continued disbelief Harry took a deep breath and finally asked, "A Familiar Pull? What's that?"

Hagrid was the one who answered, he had moved closer when he heard the Sales Wizard cry out. "A Familiar Pull is where a wizard or witch feels a pull towards their Familiar." At Harry's questioning look Hagrid went on to say. "hmm, the bes' way ter explain a Familiar, is that the animal is the bes' match ter a wizard's or witch's magic. Once bonded, a Familiar can help their Master in many ways, but the main way is tha' they can help control their Master's magic better. There's also some bleedover o' abilities, mostly boosted senses, which one depending on the animal, or increased balance and reaction speed fer the human. The Familiar gains increased intelligence and lifespan too. They are able ter communicate ter their Master though their link tha' they share with their Master, they can also share their feelin's and emotions though the link. Some Familiars can use some low level spells from their Master. They are also very loyal."

As Harry heard all this, he wanted this kitten even more, not only was it going to be powerful, but it would be very loyal to him too once they bonded. Something he would ask Hagrid later, but for now he needed to complete the transaction. "So how much do you want for this cute girl?" asked Harry.

Greed overcame over the Sale's Wizard; yes he was shocked that a eleven year old would have found his Familiar at a young age but still, he knew that the kid wouldn't leave without his Familiar and would pay what was asked. So, hiding the greed from his voice, "It'll be sixty Galleons for the Tigran."

Although Harry didn't know much from about Wizarding Money, from the gasp from Hagrid, he knew he was being swindled. After some thought Harry spoke up, "I don't think so, that's too much. I think ten Galleons for her is fair enough for her. You did say that she's been attacking people whenever they try and hold her, so I bet you wouldn't even get this. So I'll give you ten Galleons for her, and I'll promise to buy a carrying cage and anything she needs from here. What do you say?"

The Sale's Wizard frowned but knew he had no other choice. "Fine, you win…"

And so, after paying fifteen Galleons for the Tigran and the items needed for her, Harry and Hagrid left the store; Hagrid sneezing a few times because of the Tigran. Once they were all finished they headed towards Ollivander's.

The last shop was narrow and shabby with peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. and a single wand lying on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic. Feeling… something, behind him he spun around, his left hand up to block an attack and his right hand curled inward, ready to generate a deadly fireball at a moment's notice.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry's eyes flickered over to where Hagrid was sitting as he heard a loud crunching noise, noticing the man was sitting on a pile of splinters that used to be his chair. "You're the first in over a hundred years to be able to sense me back here before I made myself known. Oh yes, I'll be keeping an eye on you, I suspect great things from you." As this was said, an old man walked out of the shadows, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hello." Harry said awkwardly, relaxing his stance slightly.

"Anyway, I thought I would see you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You may look like your father, but you have your mother's eyes and a very similar demeanour. It seems only yesterday they were in here themselves, buying their first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for Charms for your mother."

Ollivander moved closer to Harry. He wished he would blink, the man's silvery eyes were a bit unnerving.

"Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course." The ancient man laughed, as if the very concept of a Wizard choosing a wand was so ludicrous it was comical.

"And that's where…" Ollivander suddenly reached forward and touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger. "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it." He said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do…"

He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid. "Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again… Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"

"It was, sir, yes." Hagrid replied.

"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" Ollivander said, suddenly stern.

"Er, yeh, they did." Hagrid admitted, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though." He added brightly.

"But you don't use them?" Ollivander sharply.

"Oh, no, sir." Hagrid said quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke. He suspected he knew where Hagrid's wand was and that he used it sometimes.

"Hmmm…" Ollivander hummed, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well now, Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"If you mean what hand do I use, I can use both hands, but I normally use my right." Harry answered as best he could.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he talked. "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another Wizard's wand."

Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.

"That will do." He said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."

Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try-"

Harry tried - but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.

"No, no, here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."

Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

It took a dozen wands before they were apparently a close enough match for Ollivander to actually let him wave the things. That, apparently, was a mistake, because every one of them suddenly burst into flames. Some violently, and others were more tame but no less destroyed. One second he was holding a solid wood wand, and the next they flashed crimson, like they were made of magma for but a moment, and then just proofed into ash.

Despite the loss of nearly twenty wands Ollivander looked almost excited, rather than angry or frustrated

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere. I wonder, now… yes, why not." Ollivander said as he went to the back of his shop and brought back a box, as he took it out he went on to say, "-unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

For several seconds the wand seemed fine, he gave it a swish and reddish orange sparks poured from the tip of the wand. Something felt… off, about the wand though, and just as Harry was going to examine these feelings. The sparks pouring out of the wand tip increased. More and more sparks flew from the wand, like a firework, before it suddenly stopped. The sound of a bird giving a sort of deathly, screeching squeak before it just… imploded. With a sound like a wet cloth tearing it just collapsed in on itself. Both Harry and Ollivander stared down at the Harry's empty hand for several moments before Ollivander muttered, "Oh… so close there, I thought that that would be the one for you."

Recovering his composure Harry wondered, "May I ask why you thought it might be the one for me?"

"The phoenix whose tail feather was in that wand, gave another feather - just one other. It would have been like destiny should you have been a match for this wand when its brother - why, its brother gave you that scar. I thought that since you defeated You-Know-Who you would gain this wand too… oh well." Mr. Ollivander then had a thoughtful look appear on his face. "Mr. Potter, can I ask, do you have any skills you might want to tell me about?"

Harry wasn't sure what to do, as he didn't want to inform him nor Hagrid about his skills, Ollivander saw that Harry wasn't willing to say anything, so he said, "Mr. Potter, you may not want to answer, but I need to know. As without this information, I can't match you with the right wand.

Harry sighed, knowing that he would need to tell him if he wanted a wand. Making sure his hand was away from Hagrid he beckoned Ollivander closer and held his palm up, close to his chest. A small flame blossomed to life in his hand.

"Oh my, a Fire Elementalist, no wonder I was having problems find you a wand. I haven't had an Elementalist in a while." Ollivander said happily, his voice quiet as he picked up on the lad's choice to keep this information from Hagrid. "Now let me think. Oh yes, I think have a few wands that may be a match for you." Mr. Ollivander then went off to the very back of the shop and brought back three boxes, as he put them on the counter he said, "These belonged to three last Fire Elementals that my family knew over the years. So pick each one and see if they are a match for you."

So Harry did, but the first two did nothing for him; they didn't explode or disintegrate though, they just didn't react, so there was that at least. The moment Harry picked up the last one of the bunch he felt a burst of energy. He felt a great warmth, and his inner flame felt a connection to this wand. The air around him grew hazy the temperature in the shop skyrocketed. Hagrid panted as he and Ollivander, who didn't react at all to the heat, watched on in amazement.

When the blaze settled down Harry took the moment to examine his new wand: The wand itself was a dark red in colour, it was about a foot long give or take a few inches. However, unlike the other wands that he tried, it had a strange handle; instead of the plain looking handles, this one had a claw-like handle which held some kind of red crystal. The claw had silver scales covering it and the nails were about an inch long. The shaft of the wand was covered in a line of symbols, likely Runes from what he'd seen in Flourish and Blotts, that were just slightly darker than the wood of the wand; concealing them nicely.

"This looks amazing and it feels great." Harry said in awe.

"Bravo Mr. Potter, we have found your wand." Ollivander said proudly.

"Bravo 'Arry." Hagrid parroted.

"This is one of the oldest wands that I have in my store Mr. Potter," Ollivander explained. "Thirteen and an half inches long, Makore wood, which is excellent for light or dark magic. It be can be used to improve life, or destroy it. Its core is a Dragon Heartstring from a powerful extinct dragon known as an Archdemon. It once belonged to the Dark One-"

"The Dark One?" Hagrid asked, interrupting. Harry nodded in agreement to his question.

"He was one of most feared Fire Elementalists of his time that is on top of being the Dark Lord of his time." Ollivander began to explain. "If he were still around today he would make you-know-who look like a puppy by comparison. At the time his wand was like the rest you've seen today, but as he grew in power he wanted to make his wand more powerful. So he engraved runes onto his wand, and put an unknown focus onto it - that red gem there - it is said that the claw that holds the focus is also magical, and the wand has been altered too, but it is only a rumour. It is also rumoured to be more powerful then the Elder Wand."

"Runes? Focus? Elder Wand?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Runes are something you'll learn when you're in your third year - if you so choose - but mainly runes are magical symbols that make things more powerful." Ollivander explained. "A focus is a crystal that makes the wand not only more powerful, but helps to cast spells easier. As for the Elder Wand, it has many names, but it is from a child's story book from The Tales of Beedle the Bard, you can buy the book and look up the story 'Tale of the Three Brothers' to find out more about it and the other items that are connected to the wand. As for the Dark One, hmm…" Ollivander said thoughtfully before he pulled a dark red book from under the counter with black words The Overlord. "You should read this. This book is everything my family learned about the Overlords and about the Dark One and how he became one, it should be an interesting read for a child such as yourself."

"Overlord?" Harry wondered.

"It is a tale that not many know about, but you should find out about it in the book I mentioned before, but the main thing you should know is that the Overlord is the ruler of another realm, yes others realm exists. But like most evil people, he was defeated, though it was a close call to be honest. The only reason he was defeated was because this realm got involved, that and a few people on his side betrayed him too. In fact, the Dark One made this wand when he was the Overlord."

Harry looked at the wand in awe, this was one powerful wand with a history to it too. Hagrid looked at the wand in fear, and seeing this, Ollivander lectured sternly. "Hagrid, remember it is the person that makes the wand evil, not the other way around. So you don't need to worry, young Mr. Potter is safe and won't become corrupted because of the wand. I'll be expecting many great and interesting things from you, Mr. Potter… after all, the Dark One did great things - terrible and awful things, yes, but still great all the same. Oh and just a precaution, now that the wand has bonded with you I wouldn't suggest letting anybody else hold it; the security spells set by the previous wielder are… quite nasty."

Harry and Hagrid didn't know what to say about that, although for Harry he wasn't as bothered about it as Hagrid was. After a few moments, Harry said, "So how much do I owe you?"

"Ten Galleons for the wand and the wand holster." Ollivander answered easily.

"Wand holster?" Harry asked.

"A holster is to keep your wand safe. Coincidentally, this holster is made from the skin of the Archdemon, the same one that's heartstring is in your wand. The latent magic in the hide should give it an extra layer of protection, as it wished to protect the heart, even if both parts are no longer living." Ollivander revealed as he handed Harry a dark purple holster. "As you place the wand into the holster, the wand shrinks to fit into holster. Also as long as the wand is inside, the holster can't be seen by anybody but you, which is already on top of being impossible to summon."

"Thank you for the wand Mr. Ollivander." Harry said as he placed the wand into the holster and strapped that to his arm Once he'd done that he paid the ten Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.

Little did Harry know, but as he and Hagrid left the shop Ollivander chuckled as he said, "Oh yes Mr. Potter, great and interesting things are soon going to happen to you." He chuckled even more as he thought about Dumbledore, "Oh yes old friend, things won't be going as you planned… Ooh I should at least tell you about the brother wand of Voldemort's, you did ask about it…" Ollivander chuckled in myth as he thought about it, Dumbledore really wanted Harry Potter to have that wand for whatever reason. He couldn't wait to see what chaos was sure to happen in the future.

_**o0OoO0o**_

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he was thinking about his wand, and how it belonged to an evil Overlord. By the sounds of it, this Overlord character, was someone wanted to be like, the ruler of the world. He would have to try and learn more about him.

Harry was so deep in thought about wanting to be like the Overlord he heard about, he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, with a snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.

"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.

He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.

"You alright, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.

"Yeah I'm alright, not used to people looking at me like this," Harry admitted, "it is still all new too me. Although it is understandable, not many people buy a pet owl, so people would look at me strangely. Although I think it'll be worse when I get to Hogwarts though."

"Oh why is that Harry?" asked Hagrid.

"Well I'm famous for defeating this Dark Lord of yours, and seeing that no one has seen me for ten years, people will stare at me for it. Like the people at the pub earlier." explained Harry.

"Ah I see," Hagrid said as he understood where Harry was coming from, "if it gets ter bad, yeh can always visit me at me hut if things get too much."

"Thank you Hagrid, I might take you up the offer." Harry thanked the groundskeeper.

Before he knew it, it was time for Harry to return to the Dursleys, and after giving him a letter to give to Dumbledore, Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope.

"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September - King's Cross - it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me… see yeh soon, Harry."

The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone. He caused Hagrid as he looked at the ticket that he give him, he had to get on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at eleven o'clock, on September the first, but yet the groundskeeper didn't tell him how to get onto it, nor asked if he knew how to. He would have to ask a few people at the Underground Asylum to see if they knew anything.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the first part of the new saga of The Blood Stone Saga, I would like to thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. As I said at the start, this used to be a flashback in the original, and so I hope that you liked what I have done and what I have added.

I hope what I have done with the chapter, and how I set things up in the story. I'm still looking for OC Mystics, and if you were reading the side story, I'm looking for OC Books of Zeref's: Etherious. If you can help me, please let me know of any ideas you might have. Any that I like, I'll use in this story and give you thanks for them.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story.

_**Next time on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**___In the next chapter, I'll be clearing up a few things, as during writing this chapter, I got a few ideas that I would have put in sooner if I thought about it. One is a meeting with the Mystic Knights, and making a deal with them. Other than that we'll have to wait and see.

_**Poll: **_What should the new name for Underground Asylum be? (Poll is also on my profile on fanfiction dot net.)

Keep it as Underground Asylum.

Elysium

Underworld Entertainment

The Abyss

'The Seventh Circle'

_**Request:**_ I'm after pranks for Harry and the Weasley twins can pull, both magical and non-magical ones. I would like it if you could explain how each prank you might think of works, so I can write them down in the story.


	10. Chapter 8 - The Blood Stone - Part 2

_**Chapter Eight… **_

_**The Blood Stone - Part 2!**_

_**(Summers End!)**_

_31st of July - Underground Asylum, Harry's/Maverick's Office:_

Our chapter starts a few hours after Harry returned from Diagon Alley, and we find him in his office in the Underground Asylum. During his time back at Asylum, he created a small hidden room next to his office, it wasn't as good as Charlotte could do, but it fitted his needs: hiding his new pets until he could return to No 4 Privet Drive.

Harry's office was a basic size office, big enough for his needs, he could have up to six people, not counting his two enforcers that followed him around. It wasn't too stylish, as his main job was on the floor and didn't need to be in his office too often. But he would meet people here when he needed to, but he would often use one of the meeting rooms depending on what the meeting was about, as his room was more secure. He had a Communications Lacrima Crystal, so that he could keep contact with the others in the Underground Asylum.

For the last few hours he stayed in his office until the Asylum opened, during his time he had thought about how the day went. Sure he got his things, but the bloody Headmaster sent the groundskeeper who knew very little to get him and his things. Harry didn't know why, but this Dumbledore character wanted to limit what he learnt, and sent the fool Hagrid to do so. Even if that did work and Harry didn't learn anything from the groundskeeper, what was stopping him from going back to the Diagon Alley himself to get the books he needed to learn what he wanted to know? He wondered if everyone in the Wizarding World lacked common sense.

Although Hagrid wasn't useful in answering Harry's questions, Harry tried a few times to ask the half-giant a few questions but Hagrid wasn't able to answer them for whatever reason, he did learn something useful that day. And that was about the Houses at Hogwarts. Whilst Hagrid and the leaflet he picked up didn't say it. He got the basic idea of them: Hufflepuffs meant to be full of duffers, who were weak and useless, and could easily be taken advantage of and that is where you would end if you wasn't good enough for any other house. Ravenclaws meant to be the house of geeks and nerds, who were the teacher's pet sort of the school, caring mainly on doing well in class and learning what they could. The Gryffindors are meant to be the jocks of the school, those who love Quidditch more than anything. and like the attention, some of them weren't all that smart either and had no common sense when it came to danger. Slytherins were where all the stuck up rich Purebloods go, who think the rest of the world are below them, who were sneaky, underhanded and manipulative to get what they wanted - Slytherins are also considered as Dark Wizards, or future Dark Wizards.

As Harry sat there, Harry wondered which house would help him to further his plans, Slytherin was already out. Seeing that people considered them to be Dark Wizards, or future Dark Wizards, his every move would be monitored, something he didn't want. Hufflepuff was also out, as there were those who considered them as duffers, who people believed were weak and useless, and could easily be taken advantage of, and going into that he would be considered the same. Yes, he could fake it and make people think he was one, which would be ideal, but the problem was his temper. As soon as someone pissed him off, he would lose it and retaliate, blowing his cover and having people keeping an eye on him.

So there was only two houses he could considered going in, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, both were ideal for him. With Ravenclaw, he could research new powers and gain the knowledge needed for his plans. And should he lose his temper, it wouldn't be too bad, then he would explain that he had a temper and would ask not to be bothered when he was upset. But the best bet was for him to be in Gryffindor, as people would suspect him to be in that house as his parents were in it, and thought that he should be too. Not only that, but as a Gryffindor they would suspect him to be a hothead with a short temper, so it wouldn't be a surprise he if lost his temper often. And seeing who his parents were, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if he hit the books more than the rest of the Gryffindors.

All in all, out of the four houses, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor was the best for him, and suited his needs. But seeing that he didn't know how people were sorted into these houses, all Harry could do for now was think and decide which house was best suited for his plans.

Not only that, but he made one quick stop to the bookshop in Diagon Alley as Maverick, to see if there was any books on this Overlord character. Sadly though, they didn't have such books, but he was told that if he wanted books on Overlord, he should try Knockturn Alley, as they had more range in books in the Dark Lords. But seeing that he had to deal with Underground Asylum tonight, he had to return there and get ready for the night. Harry smiled, the fools that were the Dursley didn't care what time he came home, as long as he left them alone, and that was thanks to the threats that he made over the years. Nowadays he could do whatever he liked, but the marks of what they did to him before he found out about magic was still there, and that he would never forget.

Checking the time, Harry saw that the Asylum had been open for the last time, and seeing this Harry changed into Maverick. As Harry changed into his alter ego, his Communications Lacrima Crystal went off, and as he pushed on the scene. Doing so Harry saw a purple skin girl on the Lacrima, seeing this Maverick asked with a smile, "Hey Blink, what's up?"

"Master Maverick, there's a Mystic High-Templar named Zatanna and a group of Mystic Knights here to see you." Blink explained, the reason that she called him Master, was because it was decided, when Lucy was around, by Blink, Lucy and Charlotte, that when he was Maverick, he should be called Master. As it would show people who was in charge of the Underground Asylum.

"So they've finally arrived." Maverick said with a sigh, he was suspecting them to come sooner or later. Although he hoped later, Maverick knew it would be sooner rather than later. He just hoped that his plan would work here, and they would be willing to agree with his idea. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Master, the wards are holding up and they can't get to me." Blink explained to her friend, "But they are depending on me to send them to you so they can arrest you and close this place."

"We knew this day would come, tell High-Templar Zatanna that she and three of her people can meet me, but the rest need to wait outside." Harry told Blink. As he did, he saw Blink turn round and talked to High-Templar Zatanna, relaying what he said.

There were a few whispers on the other end of the Communications Lacrima. Maverick could hear Blink explaining to High-Templar Zatanna that unless she agreed, she would teleport all of them out of there and they would never get back in as easy as they did. Blink told Zatanna that the only reason that they were allowed in now, was because her Master wanted to talk to them, otherwise they wouldn't be there. After a few minutes, Blink turned back round to face the Communications Lacrima and said, "High-Templar Zatanna doesn't like the idea, but she is interested in what you want to say, and if it makes things easier and this doesn't lead into a fight, she agrees to meeting you."

"Good, in that case give me a few minutes and open a portal into my office." Maverick ordered Blink.

"Yes Master." was all Blink said as the Communications Lacrima went blank.

As the Communications Lacrima went blank, Maverick called out, "Warchief, Dante, come in here please."

And with that two people came into his office, the first person was known as Warchief, he looked like an orc. He was seven foot tall with green skin, long black hair, and wore black plate armour with numerous gold coloured studs and trimmings decorating it, and he carried a warhammer on his back.

The person next to him was a white haired man known as Dante, he wore red pants, covered sans his crotch and rear by a long, black leather motorcycle chaps featuring a brown cowboy boot design around the ankles. He had black, loafer looking boots, and black gloves exposing his knuckles and index finger on each hand, and his pants were wrapped with a black belt featuring a silver emblem decorated with a demonic skull. His coat was a red-coloured short sleeved two-tailed coat, with numerous gold coloured studs decorating the shoulders, collar, and chest, and a single zipper on the front. Underneath the coat was a black, zipped up undershirt with three clasps closed together with ornate, golden buckles, and medium length sleeves that could be seen passing his shoulders. The undershirt was zipped up to just below his neck, and featured an upturned collar which complemented the one on his coat. On his back was a huge scythe.

Anyway as Warchief and Dante entered the room, Warchief said, "You called Boss?"

"Yes I'm suspecting a group of Mystic Knights any second, and I want you two in here just in case they decide to make problems." Maverick explained to his enforcers.

"Of course Boss, but do you think they will?" Dante asked.

"No I don't, but they are here to arrest me and close us down." explained Maverick, "And whilst they follow the law unlike us, there could be one of them who wants to make a name for themselves, and they might be trigger happy. So I would like to be careful."

The two enforcers nodded at this, their boss was making a name for himself in the underworld, as he was setting up a natural place. A place where people's beliefs, jobs, affairs and such remained at the doors. Anyone is welcome at the Asylum, even the cops and other law enforcers were allowed here as long as they kept their jobs at the door. The enforcers knew of rival gangs often coming here, ones that hated each other, and as long as they kept their affairs at the door, they were welcome there. And if, like a few already found out, they made a problems for the Asylum, the two enforcers would deal with them and if they didn't calm down, they would be thrown out.

Either way as they were thinking about this, they saw a purple portal open and four people came out of it. The lead person of the Mystic Knights, was a tall blue haired lady, who entered the room and said to Maverick, "Maverick, you are under arrest for illegal gambling, illegal selling of alcohol, a number of sexual crimes, child sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and solicitation to name a few, there is more which we'll name later on. Will you come quietly, or will we have a problem."

"Welcome Mystic High-Templar Zatanna, please take a seat and we can talk about this." Maverick said with a smile as he offered Zatanna a chair.

"And what should I sit down for?" asked the blue haired lady, "There's nothing to talk about. We're here to arrest you and close down your establishment."

"You see, we might have a problem with that." Maverick said knowingly.

"What do you mean by that?" asked the High-Templar.

"You see other than illegal gambling and selling of alcohol, I've done nothing wrong really." Maverick said with a smirk.

"What are you talking about, we know that you own the Underground Asylum, and everything in it." said Zatanna.

"Whilst it is true that I do own the Underground Asylum, but whatever you heard about me owning everything in it is untrue." Maverick explained to the High-Templar, "As all I'm doing is providing a service, by renting out areas and rooms for people to use as they like. What they do with that is down to them, as long as I get the money, I don't care what they do with their rooms that they rented out. Does that make me a despicable, vile, loathsome, bastard, yes, but all I'm guilty of is illegal gambling and selling of alcohol. The worse I can get is a huge fine, and my club being closed down until I get the licences to gamble and to sell alcohol. For anything you might have on me, unless you got solid evidence that I do indeed run whatever happens in my Underground Asylum, you can't do much. In fact I've got all the contracts, reports and receipts to show that the rooms and areas that I have hired out." As Maverick said this, he summoned the contracts, reports and receipts from his bookshelf and give them to the High-Templar

"In the contracts you'll see that I put in a clause that says that I'm not liable as to what happens in the area I rent out," Maverick went on to explain to the High-Templar, as she sat down and read through the paperwork, "and other than fixing the place up whatever else happens is down to them. There is a part in the paperwork that for an extra fee, I'll sort out protection for them. Which is good for Madam Gaia's girls, as she hires me to look after her girls."

As Zatanna read the paperwork, one of the Mystic Knights with her, someone who wore a dark blue cloak asked, "Is he right Mystic High-Templar Zatanna? Is everything that happens in the Asylum other than the illegal gambling and selling of alcohol, down to those that rent his rooms and areas and not him?"

"It would seem so Mystic Knight Cloak, all the paperwork seems to be in order." High-Templar Zatanna admitted darkly. "Other than his illegal gambling and selling of alcohol, he has done nothing wrong as such. He is just an, an immoral despicable person, that is not caring about another person."

"I don't know about that," said Maverick, "the women and girls that work for Madam Gaia are a lot safer here than they would be on the streets. They don't have pimps that force them to sleep with men they don't want to, and they don't have to fear the pimps beating them up and using drugs to make them do things, or fear that their clients would beat them up unless they pay for that sort of thing."

"And what about when they leave here?" asked Zatanna, "Where do they sleep when they leave here? Do they go to school, or work?"

"I don't know to be honest, I never thought about it before." Maverick admitted honestly, this was the first time that he ever thought about such things. And in doing so, new ideas had begun to form in his head, not about Charlotte's girls, but others that work here. "It's not like I'm their warden or anything, I leave Madam Gaia to deal with them."

"You, you bloody immoral despicable person." said Zatanna, who was unable to think of anything else to call him at the moment.

"You already told me that," Maverick said with a sly smile, "but anyway, by closing down my place, you're missing out a golden opportunity."

"What opportunity would that be?" the High-Templar asked suspiciously.

"Whilst everyone here at Underground Asylum wears masks, when they get drinking, we'll just say that some interesting things can be learnt if the right ears hear about it." Maverick explained with a knowing smirk.

"So you're saying that if we don't close down your place, we can come in and find out whatever we want?" asked Zatanna.

"I didn't say such a thing," Maverick smirked knowing, "but if I was to stay open, I couldn't stop you from sending some undercover people here. And I can't stop them from learning what is said here and use it as they want. But I should warn you that I have one main rule here, you leave your life at the door. I don't care if you are a cop, a killer or whatever, you leave your business at the door. Should you cause any problems, starting fights, arresting people and such, we'll have a problem and either me, or one of my people will deal with you and throw you out."

"Say I was able to convince my people to let this hellhole to stay open, what would we get out of it?" Zatanna asked thoughtfully, whilst she didn't like the idea of doing so, the opportunity to be able to overhear something from the big time criminals was not something she could miss out on. She knew that the big time criminals, both magical and non-magical, were slowly coming here. As they knew that they could safely talk here, without fear of people bugging their meetings and getting caught. So this opportunity was something they could not pass up on easily.

"You can't be seriously thinking about agreeing to this Mystic High-Templar Zatanna?" Mystic Knight Cloak asked in disgust, as the very thought made him ill.

"And why shouldn't she?" Maverick asked with a smirk, "It is known as throwing back the small fish to get the bigger fish, it happens in the police at times. Anyway, to sweeten the deal, I'll inform you of any threats I can forward to you without risking it coming back to the Asylum. In fact, I can inform you about an attack that is planned for the first of September, on the Hogwarts Express. I only know thanks to over hearing some of the drunks from their earlier meeting, they were part of a group known as the Acolytes."

"Why are you telling us this?" asked a shocked Zatanna, not sure if she believed him or not.

"Because large scales death is bad for business, especially when children is involved, so I'm more than happy to inform you lot if any problems like that occur." Maverick explained to the group. But that wasn't the only reason why he was telling them this, seeing as he would also be on the train, and because he didn't know the numbers, he didn't want risk his own life in fighting them if he could have others to do so.

"Hmm, in this case until I speak to the others in the Mystic Council, and talk about your idea, your arrest is on hold." Zatanna said darkly, not liking the idea at all, but his production was not something they could take lightly and needed to be talked about. "But be warned that should we decide to to arrest you anyhow, or your information is false, I'll be back and we will be more than happy to arrest you and close down this abyss of yours."

"If that's the case I'll wish you luck." Maverick said with a smile, knowing that by the time they would come back to arrest him, he wouldn't be there. And not only that, he was hoping to open the main Asylum soon and so it would make it hard for the Mystic Knights to find. Although Zatanna calling it abyss gave him some thoughts about renaming it to The Abyss instead, he would have to think about it.

For now he watched as the unhappy Mystics left the place, whispering about how unhappy they were of the outcome. With Zatanna snapping at them saying that she wasn't happy about it either, but as crime fighters, be it magical or non-magical, they would at times have to make deals with scumbags like Maverick, to get the worse lot out there. With them gone, he and the two enforcers left the office and made their rounds through the Asylum.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_13th of August:_

It has been two weeks since Harry dealt with the Mystic Knights as Maverick, and so far he hadn't heard from them. He suspected that they were either still deciding to agree with working with his idea, or they were waiting to see if what he said was true, before deciding on his idea. Either way it was all good for Harry, as it would give him more time to get the main Asylum ready, or as he and Charlotte decided to call it The Abyss. He had heard from the Goblins that his items would be ready sometime early September, so if worse comes to the worse, he would only close down for a short while until he could sort a few things out so it would be harder for the Mystic Knights to find them.

He really hoped that they would take his warning on the attack seriously, as he was not foolish to think that he could fight them all himself. He was sure that if he did, he would be dead within moments of starting the fight. Not until he learnt to fight against a large group, he would not do well in such fights. Which is why he had Bowser find someone to teach him to fight in a large group. Harry was surprised that Bowser did not only found someone to teach him to fight against a group, but someone to teach him how to use blades, seeing that he (Harry) wanted to use more than daggers but wasn't sure how to without looking like a fool. But Bowser warned Harry that the blade master was a bit extravagant when it came to teaching, but he wouldn't say how.

So here he was on his Saturday afternoon, making his way to one of his training rooms to meet with Bowser and the blade master. On his way to the training area, he was stopped by Charlotte and Blink, who wanted a few words about his latest idea. Creating another area for those who have nowhere to live, and had no one to look out for them, a place where the young ones could go to school and such. Charlotte and Blink came to him, wanting to talk to him about a few designs that they wanted, but seeing that he had a meeting to attend to, he could give them a few moments of his time, and a few pointers as to what he wanted. He told them that he would talk to them later about it.

Once they left to get ready to open the Asylum that night, Harry thought back over the last two weeks. He had decided to take a break from training, so that he could begin reading the books for his classes, and start learning more about the Wizarding World. So once the Asylum closed for the night, he went back to the Dursleys. As he got there, his uncle instantly hated that he'd brought back his owl and Tigran, seeing that Vernon didn't want any more freakish things in his house.

Harry chuckled as he remembered how the fool tried to attack Aneira and Hedwig in an attempt to kill them, before Harry could make his move, Aneira transformed from her cat form into her Tigran form and stood in front of him, ready to attack should Vernon try to do anything. Vernon paled at the sight and decided as long as they kept out of the Dursleys way, Harry could keep them.

Harry named her Aneira from reading_ The Rise and Fall of Dark Lords through the Ages_, Aneira was a Dark Witch in the 1400's, it also meant snow and Harry thought it was a pretty name for her. As for Hedwig, he found her name in _A_ _History_ _of_ _Magic_. It just seemed to jump out at him, and Hedwig was very pleased with the name so they kept it.

Over the last two weeks Harry was reading _Hogwarts: A History _and _The Rise and Fall of Dark Lords through the Ages_. In fact _The Rise and Fall of Dark Lords through the Ages _was Harry's favorite, it had loads of information on the Dark Lords and what they did during their time. Harry knew that it was strange to like the concept of being a Dark Lord, but Harry did; to him they represented freedom. Free from being chained down by what people thought of them, free from rules and what people expected. A part of him wouldn't have minded becoming a Dark Lord, but another part of him didn't. That hesitant part realized how lonely such a life would be, as you wouldn't have any real friends, and would probably end up becoming paranoid, fearing betrayal constantly.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted as he entered the training area that he was going to meet Bowser and the blade master in, then he heard someone say, "You're late boy." The voice came from the centre of the room, they person was a shorter than average wide at the shoulder black hair streaked with grey styled in a small poof with a neat goatee. He was wearing dark gray wool tunic with green stripes, and he had gray cotton trousers, he was also holding a pair of slender wooden swords."Tomorrow you will be here at midday." Whoever this person was, he had an accent of some sort.

But being called boy and being told where to be tomorrow, didn't seat well with Harry, and so he asked darkly, "Who the bloody hell are you to tell me I'm late, and were I should be tomorrow?"

Instead of answering, the stranger whacked Harry on the back of his head with one of the wooden swords, this only made Harry give him dark look, as he summoned a fireball within his hand, ready to attack the stranger. The only reason that he did not attack, was he heard chuckles within the shadows.

It was Bowser, his hair was short, it had two shades of gray, lighter at the sides and darker at the top. Bowser wasn't what you would expect a man of his age to be like, he had a body of a bodybuilder. When he walked his muscles would ripple. He wore a business suit.

"Harry, this is Syrio Forel, he's your new Blade Master," explained Bowser, "he'll be teaching you how to use a sword and other blades."

"Thank you Bowser, but I'll take it from here." explained Syrio.

"I think I'll stay and watch if you don't mind." said Bowser. The truth was, he wanted to make sure Harry didn't do anything stupid, he knew that Harry had a temper and seeing how Syrio teached, Bowser was worried that Harry would retaliate. So until the young boy got used to the way the Blade Master taught, he would stay and watch.

"As long as you don't try and interfere I don't mind." said Syrio, before turning to Harry, "Whilst Bowser called me your Blade Master, I'm in going to be your Dancing Master." He tossed Harry one of the wooden blades. Harry tried to grabbed for it, but yet missed, and heard it clatter to the floor. "Tomorrow you will catch it. Now pick it up, without the aid of your magic."

It was not just a stick, but a true wooden sword complete with grip and guard and pommel. Harry picked it up and clutched it nervously with both hands, holding it out in front of him. It was heavier than it looked, much heavier than anything he used to holding without the help of his magic.

The Blade Master clicked his teeth together. "That is not the way, boy. That's not a greatsword that needs two hands to swing it. You will take the blade in one hand."

"It's too heavy," Harry told the man, "are you expecting me to hold something as heavy as this? And I have to ask why do you call yourself a Dance Master when you're a Sword Master, teaching me how to use a sword not to dance."

Syrio once again whacked Harry on the back of his head with his wooden sword, being hit with the sword again and being called boy, was getting to him. As the flame in his hand reappeared, before he could do anything Bowser called out, "Harry calm yourself, he is here to teach you how to use swords and other blades, this is the way he teaches. So calm yourself."

Harry slowly take a few deep breaths as Syrio said, "Bowser, I thought I told you not to interfere."

"You did, but you need to understand that if I didn't say something, he would have gotten out of hand and you don't know what he is like when that happens." Bowser explained to the so called Dance Master, "At the moment he doesn't respect or trust you, need to earn that from him and then you can help him with his training. You need to give him time, and try and not call him boy too much, it brings back bad memories and feelings . So bare with him."

Syrio Forel sighed, this isn't what he used to, he was forty-one year old and normally the people that he trained would respect him, in fact he demanded to be respected. Syrio came from one of the hidden magical Greek islands, known as Braavos. Braavos was instead two years before Albert Lincoln passed the bill to free all the slaves, after rising in rebellion and taking control of a large slaver convoy bound for a newly established colony known at the time as Sothoryos. Led by Moonsingers of the Jogos Nhai, they settled on a distant island, in the middle of the Aegean Sea.

Because they had risked their lives in the name of freedom, the founders of Braavos vowed that no man, woman, or child in the city should ever be a slave, thrall, or bondsman. This became the First Law of Braavos, engraved in stone on the arch that spanned across the Long Canal.

For centuries it was called the Secret Island and remained relatively unknown to the rest of the world, with ships carrying false charts and practicing deceit when questioned about their home port, for more than a century. But seeing that they needed to keep up with the times, so the leader of the island at the time Lord Uthero Zalyne sent forth his ships to select islands around the world, inviting men to celebrate the 111th festival of the city's founding. In the hope to connect to the world, and so not to fall behind the rest of the world as the times changed.

Over the years Braavos was one of the few places where Magical Beings could go to, a safe haven, for those who were trying to escape being turned into slaves by the rest of the Magical World, because of what they were. And to this day, only the Magical World knows about the existence of Braavos, and they still use false charts and practicing deceit when questioned about their home port when dealing with the Muggle World.

Now before Syrio Forel left Braavos, he was the First Sword of Braavos, who is the chief protector of Lord of Braavos (the ruler of Braavos) at the age of twenty one when the old First Sword of Braavos, his father, died protecting the current Lord of Braavos. Whoever becomes the First Sword of Braavos are thought to be the finest swordsman in Braavos, and would have to be as he is the most observant of the Braavos, and must be able to protect the Lord of Braavos from threats seen, and unseen. Syrio become the First Sword of Braavos, not only because who his father was, but because he was able to conjure all sorts blades as he liked, so he would never be unarmed, and the blades could be made from not only metal, but any element that Syrio wanted, just like his father could do.

By the age of thirty, Syrio had served the Lord of Braavos for nine years, but decided it was time for a change in his life, and to see the world. And so he left Braavos to see the world, going from country to country, hiring out his skills as a Blade's Master to teach those who want to learn the way of the sword. He became well known within the circles of royalty and noblemen, he gained the trust and respect of many, and so he demanded to be respected by others because of this.

But here Syrio Forel was, the former First Sword of Braavos, teaching a brat that would not respect him as he hadn't earned the boy's respect nor trust. Normally he would kick the brat in the ass and leave him be, if he wasn't going to respect him. But he owed Bowser. When he first left Braavos, the former First Sword of Braavos went to one of the underground casino that Bowser ran in New York, to earn some money. But his luck wasn't with him that week, and he got into debt big time, owning the casino about two hundred thousand dollars.

But when Bowser learnt who he was, the Pit Boss made a deal with him, in return for clearing the debt up, the former First Sword of Braavos, would have to do a few favours for Bowser. Seeing his honour was at stake, Syrio agreed to the deal. It was a good thing too, as Bowser hooked him up with a few people who hooked him up with other people, and soon his name became known to royalty and noblemen. Sure some of these royalty and noblemen, weren't good people, but he was teaching them how to use a sword, what they do in their own time was their own business, was none of his business.

Over the years, Bowser called in the favours that he owed to the man, which is why he was here today, teaching a brat who doesn't know or respect him. If he did this, his debt would be cleared if he trained this Harry Potter for the next year or so. Syrio vowed he would get this person's respect. even if it killed him. Because he was Syrio Forel, the former First Sword of Braavos, and he demanded respect. For now though, he had his work cut out for him…

"It is as heavy as it needs to be to make you strong, and for the balancing. A hollow inside is filled with lead, just so." As he said that, he flipped the sword into the air and made it land on the back of his hand, "One hand is all it needs. And for me sword and dance is the same thing," Syrio explained with a sigh, "both need excellent footwork, balance and hand eye coordination, as one mistake could be the death of you if you're not careful. I have taught myself how to dance so I could be a better swordsman, which is why I consider myself a Dance Master rather than Blade's Master. Now I explained myself, now show me how you hold the sword handle."

Harry took his right hand off the grip and wiped his sweaty palm on his pants. He held the sword in his left hand. Syrio seemed to approve. "The left is good. All is reversed, it will make your enemies more awkward. Now you are standing wrong. Turn your body side face, yes, so. You are skinny as the shaft of a spear, do you know. That is good too, the target is smaller. Now the grip. Let me see." As he said this, he moved closer and moved Harry's body in the right place, and prying his fingers apart, rearranging them. "Just so, yes. Do not squeeze it so tight, no, the grip must be dealt with delicately."

"What if I drop it?" Harry asked, feeling that this way would make him drop the sword.

"The blade must be a part of your arm," the man told him. "Can you drop a part of your arm? No. You wouldn't know this, as you don't know much of the Wizarding World, but for nine years Syrio Forel was first sword to the Sealord of Braavos, he knows these things. Listen to him, boy."

"It's Harry, not boy." Harry objected angrily, if Bowser wasn't there, he would have fried this mad man into ashes, he hates it when someone calls him boy.

"It doesn't matter what I call you," Syrio Forel said. "you're a sword, that is all." He clicked his teeth together. Syrio then said as Harry got the grip right, "Just so, that is the grip. You are not holding a battle-axe, you are holding a needle. Now we will begin the dance. Remember, child, this is not the iron dance of what I know as the Westeros, we are learning, the knight's dance, hacking and hammering, no. This is the bravo's dance, the water dance, swift and sudden. All men are made of water, do you know this? When you pierce them, the water leaks out and they die. Now tell me, Bowser has told me that you want to able to fight a large group of people, is this right?"

"Not that I want to, but I fear that I might have to." Harry admitted to the man.

"In that case you'll die," the 'Dance Master' told Harry darkly, "at your age and how you are so far, you'll die within minutes if you dare try and fight a large group. For now all you can do is take down the person who is leading the group, as without the leader, most people won't know what to do. So I'll teach you how to defeat that person first, and then I'll teach you how to defeat a group, should you live that is." He took a step backward, raised his own wooden blade. "Now you will try to strike me."

And Harry did try and strike the ass. He tried for the next four hours to strike him, until every muscle in his body was sore and aching, while Syrio Forel clicked his teeth together and told him what to do. Not once was he able to land a strike on Syrio.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_1st of September:_

Young Harry Potter was sitting in a car that Bowser set up for him to take Harry to King's Cross Station. It has been a long painful few weeks thanks to his training with the 'Dance Master' Syrio Forel, but it was worth it though, as if the Mystic Knights didn't take his warning seriously, he would be able to defeat the leader of the attack and stop them group hurting the students on the train.

Either way, because of his training with Syrio and reading his books, he couldn't spend as much time running the Asylum as he wanted to. So he had given the reign of the club to Bowser sooner than planned, which would have been the night before going to Hogwarts. But giving control over to Bowser sooner, gave Harry more time to do the last minute things he needed to learn about the Wizarding World and learn his sword training.

Over the last two weeks, whilst he didn't trust or was loyal to the man, after many painful sessions with him Harry did gain respect for Syrio. If there is one thing he could say about Syrio, that was he knew his stuff when it comes to blades and how to wield them.

During those two weeks, there was a meeting that Harry had to go to as Maverick as Bowser couldn't go, it was a meeting with the Acolytes. It would seem that although there were many groups of them, they all were being controlled by one person, a Dark Priestess who they called Mistress Averna.

It would seem that this Mistress Averna, wanted Maverick to join her ranks, as she had heard about what he was doing, and saw great potential in him. Whilst it seemed to be a great idea, there was the problem that not only did he not trust the Acolytes, he would not allow himself to bow down to anyone when it was he who wanted people to bow down to him. And joining this Dark Priestess's ranks would mean he would have to bow down to her. So he politely but firmly told the Acolyte, that whilst they were welcome to use the Asylum for their meetings, he would not join the Dark Priestess. To make a point, he showed off a bit of his power, and let the Acolyte know that whilst he had no interest in fighting them, or the Dark Priestess, should he be pushed, he would do what he had to do.

Whilst Harry was reading up on Hogwarts and the Wizarding World, he brought a book on the Overlord character that the Wand Maker Ollivander told him his wand used to belong to. The book that he got was called _The__History__of__the__Overlords_.

From what Harry read, there could be only one Overlord at a time and no one knew for sure how someone was chosen to become an Overlord… but it's said that they were picked by some sort of powerful crystal that was called the Tower's Heart. It was never said how this crystal picked the new Overlord, some say that they were known for being Evil for evil's sake; they didn't have sappy back stories (though some did, but that was more life's fault) or were shunned as children, or raped, or some other reason for turning evil; they were just born that way. Some said they had some evil deep within them, waiting for it to be awakened somehow. Normally, these people often needed to nearly die and become the Overlord before that evil was unleashed. Either way, the Overlords lived lives dedicated to the cause of Evil; no matter how minor the act they always enjoyed acts of wrongdoing and general badness.

The book talked a bit about the past Overlords and the history behind them. Whilst Harry wasn't bother all about the past history of each Overlord, he was interested to learn that the Overlord's came from Earthland. Earthland was a world hidden hundreds of miles beneath the world, protected by magic from the hate. It was said that the Overlord base of operation was on a small island known as Spree Island, in a place known as the Dark Tower. Unlike the Dark Lords from his realm, the Overlords don't really have human followers but creatures known as Minions, otherwise known as Gremlins.

The Minion race is split up into four types called Tribes: the Brown Tribe, were melee fighters and strong, they would fight anything in their path. The Red Tribe, were the Archers of their kind, although weaker than the Brown Tribe, they could throw fireballs and were resistant to fire. The Green Tribe, were the ninja's of their kind, they were slightly stronger than reds and are valued for their stealth, ability to pass through poison gas, and absorb poison clouds. The last of the Minion Tribes were the Blue Tribe, these are the weakest of the Overlord's minions. However, they were the only Tribe who able to swim where all other minions would drown. They can also revive dead minions, and they also have the advantage of magic attacks allowing them to attack ethereal enemies, like wisps and ghosts. Harry read that as long as the Overlord got the nests for the Tribes, and enough life-force that creates them, the Overlord could make as many as he wanted.

Harry read about a few of the Overlords, many having their own pasts and reasons for why they were defeated. His favorite was the sixth Overlord, the Fire Elemental that Ollivander talked about. Normally the Overlords just stayed within Earthland, and tried to take it over, leaving the outer world alone.

But the sixth Overlord, like the fourth, tried to move away from Earthland to something bigger and better, and so tried to take on the outer world. Harry could sympathize with this, he too wanted something more, something bigger and better. As Harry read about the Overlords and their power he dreamt what it would be like if he were an Overlord, to have the power to gain something more, the power to take over the world.

Oh how Harry wished that his sister was still there, she would have liked the idea of these Overlords, she would encourage to find Earthland and find a way to gain the power of the Overlord. He knew that, no matter what, with her there he knew he could do anything. He could become a Dark Lord, even an Overlord, and wouldn't have to worry about anything; he wouldn't worry about betrayal, loneliness, nor would he have to worry about incompetent followers. With Lucy, Charlotte and Blink, he could feel he could do anything. But with Lucy, he didn't know why, he felt as if he could do anything by his side.

Thinking about Lucy, it reminded him of the last month. He'd been trying to learn all his first year spells wandlessly, but for some reason he couldn't. He tried many times, but the results were dismal. That was when he realized how much he relied on Lucy for help in training in his magic. Sure he had Charlotte, Blink and Bowser to help him, but he was surprised how much she knew what to say and how to help him, especially considering she only had access to his knowledge, but she knew what he needed to learn to master his skills, or at the very least knew how to work it all out. It was after some thought that he came up with a reason why she knew these things, although she was only an imaginary sister, she was also part of his magic and that's why she could inform him about his surroundings when he couldn't see anything. So, seeing as she was part of his magic, Lucy would know how or had a rough idea of how to help him train.

As he thought about it more, more he wanted Lucy back, to have his back, the one person who started him on the road he was on. And so on the way to King's Cross Station, he made a vow to himself, he would find a way to bring Lucy back from the deep part of his mind where he believed she was in a deep sleep, and make her real. And so for the remainder of the drive to King's Cross Station, that's all Harry thought about.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the second part of the new saga of The Blood Stone Saga, I would like to thank you for reading it, and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. This is a new chapter to show how the summer ended after going shopping for his school things. I didn't realize 'til now, but the chapters this story has been much smaller the the original one, and for that I am sorry, it wasn't planned like that just something that happened. But I'm hoping that after the first year they'll get bigger, so here's hoping.

Now I had someone who suggested that I should use Confundus Charm to help turn Harry's friends to his side, as not all of them would agree with Harry and his plans. I can't remember fully what the reviewer said, so if it is you please remind me, and if not I would like ideas as to how to use the Confundus Charm on his friends. Do you think I should do it, and if so or not, tell me your reasons why.

I also got a review that I would like help with, here is part of it: You have each of the outcasts have something about them that, either privately or publicly makes them outcasts. Each of them have some personal reason to want to join the group. So that the group are not outcasts because they side with Harry, but because they each have something about them that makes them different from the norm, the norm that they would want to be free from.

And so other than asking for help with how to use the Confundus Charm on Harry's friends, I would like help with how each of his friends could be different from the others that would make themselves as an outcast in some way should people learn people learn about it.

I'm also still looking for ideas for pranks, and I hope you can help with this as I'm wanting a few magical and non-magical ones.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story.

_**Next time on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ In the next chapter, I'll be clearing up a few things, as during writing this chapter, I got a few ideas that I would have put in sooner if I thought about it. One is a meeting with the Mystic Knights, and making a deal with them. Other than that we'll have to wait and see. But we'll also see a new female Mystic, that'll be part of Harry's group.

_**Syrio Forel:**_ Yes this character comes from the Games of Thrones, and so does where he comes from, but with a few changes to fit this story. This character was brought to my attention, and asked to be put into the story by DylanTheDemon, as a teacher to teach Harry how to learn to fight with the blades. So seeing I needed someone to teach him how to sword fight, I was more than happy to add this character, I hope you like what I have done.


	11. Chapter 9 - The Blood Stone - Part 3

_**Author's Note:**_ Before we start, I want to point out two things, first if you haven't read the Side-Story or miss it when I done Dumbledore's chapter, the Longbottoms are alive and in good health. If you want to know how that happened, read Voldemort's Chapters in the Side-Story.

Next I'm altering where Hogwarts Express is located. Whilst I understand it is magic we're talking about, since I posted chapter eight, I came to realize seeing how big Platform Nine and Three-Quarters meant to be, unless they were transported elsewhere. I can't see it being still at King's Cross. So I'm changing it a bit, I hope you like what I'll do.

_**Chapter Nine… **_

_**The Blood Stone - Part 3!**_

_**(All Aboard the Hogwarts Express!)**_

_1st of September - King's Cross Station:_

Our chapter begins with young Harry Potter in a car that Bowser set up for him, to take him to King's Cross Station, and he was thinking about that morning. Although they knew it would come, it was hard for Harry, Charlotte and Blink to part, as they became such close friends. But they knew that it had to be done, so after tearful goodbyes, and parting gifts, they parted ways. (Charlotte got Harry a watch, that she _got _from an antique shop in London, Blink got Harry some hidden blades for him, who she had to do a few _favours _for a past client to get. As for Harry, he got them and himself a three part pendant, that would make a whole pendant which would be in the shape of an heart. Harry _got _it from an antique shop in London.)

Harry got to King's Cross Station at quarter past ten, more than enough time to get onto Merlin's Station. As he got out of the car, he turned to the driver and said, "Thanks for the lift Mr. King."

"it's fine, Mr. Potter, since Bowser started working with you, I've been getting more jobs as of late, something I haven't done since he retired from his old casino." the driver admitted, "Don't get me wrong. Taking it easy is good and all, but there's taking it easy and there's _taking _it easy. I just don't like sitting around all day and do nothing. But thanks to Bowser working for you, kid, I've gotten more work to do. Thus keeping myself busy, and preventing me from listening to my wife moaning all the time. So, thanks kid."

"No problem Mr. King, Bowser was a godsend to me, he has helped me out big time." Harry admitted with smile, "Please tell him that I'll contact him in a few days, and if you see Charlotte and Blink before I talk to them, please let them know that I'll contact them either tonight or tomorrow depending how things go."

"No problem kid, I'll tell them," Mr. King told Harry before asking, "Am I going to pick you up here at Christmas?"

"As long as everything goes to plan, you should be. I'll contact Bowser when I know what is going on." Harry explained to the driver.

"Cool kid, I'll see you later then. Take care." the driver said before driving off.

As Harry made his way to the train station, and saw how busy it was at King's Cross Station. He was glad that he sent Hedwig off to Hogwarts that morning and placed her cage into the trunk. He was also happy that all his things were in his trunk, and that the trunk was in his pocket. And that Aneira was in her transport box, even though she didn't like it very much seeing how cramped and small it was. As the place was very packed, with hundreds of people jolting their way through the crowded walkways. Seeing as how many people used trains to get to work, it was to be expected. But that didn't mean he had to like it. If he wouldn't have had his trunk, and had Hedwig and Aneira along with him, people would be looking at him strangely. And that was something he didn't want. And at this moment the last thing he would want, would be to stand out. He wanted to get the feel of the land, to see how things stood before he decided what to do.

Seeing that he had some time to kill, Harry decided that he would get something to eat and drink at one of the cafés before getting onto the train, as he didn't know what food they would serve on the train. As he sat outside the café, Harry saw a young girl, with short honey blonde hair and amber eyes, she wore a long sleeved red top and a black skirt with boots. She also had a pair of blue headphones, around her neck. Harry had to admit that the girl was quite cute, especially as she was drawing.

Normally Harry wouldn't be bothered by such a girl, but a few things stood her out. One was that she had a small trunk on a trolley next to her, with an animal case on top. By the looks of it, there was a black fox within the case. But this wasn't what stood out the most, it was what the girl was drawing. It was the crest of Hogwarts, Harry remembered it from the letter that he got, and on the book _Hogwarts: A History_.

Seeing the book Harry walked up to her and said, "Hello, mind if I sit with you while we wait to board the Hogwarts Express."

"Err, I don't know what you're talking about." The girl said shyly.

"Oh so if I looked in your trunk, I would not find a wand like mine." said Harry as he summoned his wand from his wand holster to show the girl.

"S-So you're like me, someone magical then?" asked the girl nervously. Harry got the impression that this girl didn't spend much time around people.

"Yes, my name is Harry Potter." Harry introduced himself.

"I-I'm Ember Veil," the girl introduced herself nervously.

"Nice to meet you Ember," Harry said with a smile, "are you excited to be going to Hogwarts?"

"I am." Ember said softly.

For a short while until it was time to board Hogwarts Express, the two of them talked, and at quarter to eleven, they left the café to board the train. Harry was happy that he found where he had to go to, to get onto the train by one of the people at the Asylum, otherwise he would feel awkward asking about a place that no one meant to know. As they got to the barrier that meant to take them to the train Hogwarts Express, he heard a female voice say, "Of all the days that we run out of Floo Powder, it would be the day that you four are going to Hogwarts. We spent money on the Knight Bus that we don't have."

The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk, and they had an owl.

"Percy dear, do you remember how we got to Merlin's Station from this side?" asked the woman, that Harry suspected was the mother of the group. "As the last time we had to go through it was your second year."

"It was between the platform nine and ten," explained the oldest of the children, "between the barrier dividing the two platforms."

"Mom, can't I go too…" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her mother's hand.

"Sorry dear, but you're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first." the mother told the oldest, as they got to the barrier.

Harry watched as Percy marched toward platforms nine and ten. He watched careful not to blink, he wanted to see if what he had been told was true. As he hardly believed that walking through a barrier, would get you onto a platform in this area. Just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you're next." the plump woman told one of the twin.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy, "honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking, I am Fred," the boy admitted with a smile, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone - but how had he done it?

Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there - and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.

There was nothing else to it.

"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.

"Hello, dears," she greeted them, when she saw the two children, "is this your first time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."

She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.

"Yes," Harry admitted, with Ember nodding in agreement, "but we're not too sure about how to get onto Merlin's Station. We heard that it was around here, and all we had to do was to walk through the barrier, but I find it hard to believe."

"Ah I see, not to worry," she said kindly, "it does seem strange for the first timers. All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."

Harry walked up to the barrier slowly, and held up his hand, suspecting it to be solid, but he was shocked to find that it wasn't, as his hand went through it. Seeing it was real, he started to walk through the way as people jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten, as if nothing was happening. Harry suspected that there was some kind of magic to make them not notice.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_Merlin's Station:_

Passing through the barrier that led to Merlin's Station was an experience in and of itself. It felt like his body was being hit with a very low electric current, not enough to be painful or even uncomfortable, but enough that the hairs on the back of his neck and arms stood on end. It was a most unusual experience.

While most people would never think twice about something like this - at least he assumed none of the witches and wizards who passed through here did - Harry couldn't help but wonder about the barrier. What was it? How was it made? Was it a gateway? Was it some kind of passageway that warped the boundaries of time and space to instantaneously take one to their destination? Or was it something as simple as an illusion that had been placed over the platform to hide it from the non-magical population? Harry promised himself that he would eventually find out and replicate that feature someday.

The feeling of amazement and wonder about the magical barrier soon left him, when something else caused him to look around in awe. As he walked through the barrier, he found himself walking down some stairways leading himself into a long corridor. There were multiple arching intersections. Some were stairs and some just more halls. The floor was laid in polished black and white tiles in a checkerboard style. And also there were many crystal chandeliers all the way through the halls. The walls between the intersection were all decorated. Even though he couldn't figure out what it was supposed to look like, Harry believed it was made by a true artist.

Everywhere he looked were witches and wizards miles around. Filling nearly every nook and cranny of space available. After Ember joined him, Harry walked down the corridor, he saw people going down one of the other corridors, most likely to get on a train where they wanted to on. The most used one was at the far end one of the main corridor, where families were giving tearful goodbyes to sons and daughters, and many friends who looked to be returning students were chatting with each other excitedly.

As he looked at the entrance of this corridor, there was a sign overhead that said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock, with smoke coming from it. As Harry walked down the corridor, he found himself on a platform that he could never dream of, there was a huge scarlet and gold locomotive with the name of Hogwarts Express on the front. As Harry looked at the tracks, he found that instead of the normal classical train tracks. They were what seemed to be like crystal pyramids in the middle of the tracks, with the locomotive and carriages floating right above them. Harry figured that since it was floating right above these triangles, the wheels were there only for decoration. As he thought about the smoke too.

And around the platform, animals of all kinds roamed the platform as well. Harry saw everything from owls hooting in their cages, to cats prowling around the legs of people, and he could even get a glimpse of tiny mice darting to and from - some trying to get away from the cats - underneath the legs of students and parents alike, as many of the students were boarding. The few that already had, were poking their heads out of the windows to speak with their parents.

Harry passed a family. A mother, father, son and what Harry suspected was the grandmother. The son was round-faced, short, chubby, and had blond hair and was also somewhat buck-toothed. The mother was like the son, round-faced and blond hair, but she wasn't chubby, but slim and good looking in Harry's option. The father was tall, thin and bony, with brown hair. The grandmother was like the father, but an elderly female version of him, she wore a hat with a stuffed vulture on it and carried a bright red handbag.

"Mum, dad, I've lost Trevor again." the young boy told his parents red faced.

"Oh Neville, not again." the grandmother sighed.

"Mother leave Neville alone, you know what Trevor is like." the father told his mother.

"Frank, stop cordingly the boy, he is the future Lord Longbottom, and he needs to learn responsibility." Mrs. Longbottom told her son.

"Augusta, I know that you care for our son, but he is a child, let him be one now. He is going to Hogwarts." Neville's mum tried to reason with her mother-in-law, "He didn't have much of a childhood because of the training he has been doing, so let him be. He knows how he should act. Just let him be."

"I know that Alice, but..." Augusta began to say.

"Here he is." Frank smiled as he picked up a black and white cat. Harry passed on and took in the sight a bit more.

After taking a moment to take the wonderful sight in, Harry helped to lift Ember's trunk onto the train. He wove in between several people, gracefully sidestepping a pair of students, first years from the looks of them, that had nearly run into him. It wasn't long before he and Ember boarded the train, and after searching through the carts for an unoccupied compartment, he found one that he quickly entered.

Putting Ember's trunk down on the floor, Harry smiled as Ember sat down. He pressed the catch on his wand holster, and the wand shot out. And in a smooth and practiced motion, he caught it by the handle, his fingers already resting within the grooves. Pointing his wand at the trunk, he watched, as his smile grew brighter by the minute, as it began to lift itself into the air. Using his wand to guide Ember's trunks movements, he carefully stowed it in the compartment above her seat.

He then sat down and reached into his pocket, where he pulled out two small books the size of his palm. A small wave of his wand later, and the books _Hogwarts: A History_ and _The Rise and Fall of Dark Lords through the Ages_ were enlarged to their normal size, one he gave to Ember and the other he began reading, while Ember read the other.

As his eyes wove their way across the pages, his mind began wondering about the school he was going to, and the small part of him that was nothing more than an eleven year old boy couldn't help but feel excited about the coming school year.

What would he learn when he got to Hogwarts? What would his classes be like? What were the teachers like? The other students? Would he make any friends/allies?

As Harry was thinking about his future at Hogwarts, the sound of people saying their goodbyes, and the cries of sadness of seeing their children boarding for school, and saying goodbye to their families as they got onto the train, were replaced by screams of fear and panic. As Harry looked out of his compartment window, as he warned the Mystic Knights, the Acolytes were attacking.

Harry was about to decide if he was going to leave the train and hunt down the leader of this group, and defeat him, when he saw that the Mystic Knights had arrived. _'So it would seem that they actually took my warning to heart.' _Harry thought with a smirk, knowing that this meant that his Asylum would be staying open. Not only that but he would be having a few undercover Mystic Knights appearing at his club soon, he knew he would have to warn Bowser later on, to give him the heads up.

Seeing that there were a few children and teenager still out there, and no way to defend themselves, Harry was wondering what he should do. Should he leave all this to the Mystic Knights, or should he help them to bring the last lot of students onto the train. As Harry thought about it, he knew he was no hero, but at the same time helping them would good publicity for him as the Boy-Who-Lived who helped Hogwarts students and family. This kind of publicity was the kind he needed, if in the future, he wanted people to turn a blind eye to his going ons should things get out of hand.

So he rushed out of the compartment and out of the train, and using the Requip Magic that Syrio taught him, Harry summoned a chest armour, and a magical blade that Syrio gave to him. As he rushed out of the train, he pushed a family out of the way of an energy ball, that almost hit them.

"Get onto the train quick." Harry told them, as mother, father and son got up and got onto the train, as another energy ball came their way. But this time Harry used, his sword to hit the thing, knocking the energy ball back to the Dark Mystic. Making the Acolyte, jump to one side to miss the attack.

Harry was about to run off to help another family, when he heard someone called out, "Harry, duck!"

Upon hearing this, he ducked as a clear like energy ball went passed him, and when he saw where it came from, it was Ember who was leaning out of their compartment window. He was shocked, more so when he saw where the energy ball went. It had hit a Acolyte, and it looked like the gravity around him was pushing him down, making it so he could not move. Seeing this, Harry wondered if Ember was a Mystic like him, and that she had some sort of gravity powers. But he would have to ask Ember later, for now he was in the middle of a fight, and needed to keep moving so he wouldn't be hit.

Harry helped the Mystic Knights where he could, making sure that the families were either on the train, or they were out of the station. Once all the children were on the train, Harry made his way onto the train, as it started to move, leaving the Mystic Knights to clean up.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_Hogwarts Express:_

Once back on the train, he went back to his compartment, making sure no one noticed him. It was easy enough, as they were still in shock at what had happened, and whilst he wanted the good publicity, he wanted to talk to Ember about what she did more. So that was what he was going to do.

As Harry re-entered his compartment, he saw Ember stocking her pet fox, which was laying next to her, as if nothing happened.

As the train quickly moved to get away from the battle, Harry sat down on the other side of Ember, and thought that if the two of them were going to be friends, their pets should at least get along. So he let his familiar, Aneira, out of her box, who only looked at the fox for a few seconds, seeing that it wasn't a threat to her or her owner, she laid next to Harry. Believing that this fox was nothing but an ignorance and nothing special to her.

"So Ember, who is your little friend?" Harry asked softly, starting of first, so she felt safe, "Mine is Aneira, and she is a Tigran, which is an Ice Tiger who can become a cat as they want."

"Her name is Vixen," Ember said softly, "I found her a few years ago, when she still was a pup."

"That's nice, I got Aneira this summer." Harry explained with a smile, "Anyway, I want to thank you for your help back there, if you didn't help, I don't know what would have happened."

Ember blushed at being praised at this, she never had someone thank her before. "It was nothing, I just did what I could to help you."

"So you're a Mystic ey?" asked Harry.

"If that's what you call those like me then yes I am, to be honest I didn't know about the Magical World until a few months ago." Ember explained shyly.

Before Harry could reply, there was a knock on his compartment door before it was opened without waiting for a response. As the door opened, a redheaded boy came in, the same boy that he saw earlier with his family. "Do you mind if I sit here?" The boy asked, " I'd rather not spend the train ride alone in an empty compartment that I've found, and the other compartments had families from the attack, and those with only students didn't want me with them."

"Do you mind Ember?" Harry asked his new friend.

"No I don't mind, if it's ok with you." replied Ember.

"So it is fine, take a seat." Harry told the boy, as the boy sat where Ember was, as she moved next to Harry.

Just as the boy sat down the compartment door opened again and the two red twins Harry saw with the boy who'd just entered burst into the room looking excited. "Hey Ron, there you are, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Fred, George, I'm just sitting with these two, I'll be fine." said the boy now known as Ron.

"That's good to hear little bro…" one of the twins breathed in relief.

"Listen bro, we're going down the middle of the train, Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there!" One of the twins said giddily.

"Right…" Ron mumbled, looking a bit frightened at the thought of the spider.

The twins then looked towards Harry and Ember for the first time. "Sorry guys, let us introduce ourselves, we're Fred and George Weasley, and this is Ron, our brother." They said grandiosely, and in perfect unison. "See you later Ron." They chirped before ducking back out.

"Your brothers I take it?" Harry asked a smile.

"Yeah, they like to prank people whenever they can." Ron said with a sigh.

"Oh really, I do like a good prank." Harry commented slyly.

"Oh I think you'll like the twins then. Just be careful of what they give you; they like to prank people by giving them food that's been enchanted to do something embarrassing. I ate a biscuit once. It turned into a sock."

Harry laughed. "Thanks for the warning, Ron. Anyway, my name's Harry Potter."

"And I'm Ember." Ember said shyly, feeling uncomfortable with the new person being there.

"Blimey, are you really?" The redhead breathed, not bothering about the girl. "Do you really have - you know…" He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry sighed as pulled back his bangs to show the lightning bolt scar. Ron continued staring like a slack jawed moron, at least he looked like that to Harry. He ended up having to cover it up again with a hopeless sigh before the other boy blinked and broke from his trance. Harry knew he'd be getting some attention for being famous but the boy was acting like famous people were a rare thing. Some level of shock or surprise was expected, but it was like he was the only celebrity in Magical Britain or something silly like that.

"So that's where You-Know-Who…?" Ron began to ask.

"Yes." Harry answered shortly. "I can't remember it though."

"Nothing at all?" Ron investigated further.

"A green light, but that's it." The last Potter replied. He was growing annoyed, but calmed himself as he realized nobody actually knew what happened, so curiosity was perfectly natural. Even if the boy sitting across from him was being pretty tactless about it.

"Wow." Ron breathed again, like Harry had just revealed that the secret of the universe was cheese. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he quickly looked down. As he did, he saw the books; _Hogwarts: A History_ and _The Rise and Fall of Dark Lords through the Ages_ sitting in Harry's and Ember's laps. "You two are reading those then?" He sputtered.

"Yeah, I read them and my other school books over the last month." Harry explained to the boy, "And Ember is reading them now to catch up."

"What!" Ron shrieked. "Did you really read them all? Didn't you have any fun at all?"

"Of course I read them all, and I had fun reading them." Harry explained. Judging by the horrified look on Ron's face Harry guessed that Ron was the kind of kid that only worked when he had to and only wanted to have fun. Thinking of a way to explain it, Harry thought of an idea while Ron was busy trying to wrap his mind around reading being fun. "Ron, is all of your family magical?"

"Err - yes, I think so," Ron said thoughtfully as he tried to remember something. "Although I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

"So you know a lot about the history of the Wizarding World right?" Harry pressed. Ron nodded, so Harry finished his point. "That's why I read all my books, to find out everything that I can about the world I'm now entering, and lending Ember one of my books. Whilst I knew about magic for a while now, it wasn't until recently that I have decided to join the Wizarding World, but now I am, and I want to know as much as I can." Harry explained to Ron, not telling him everything.

"WHAT!?" Ron shouted in horror that the Boy-Who-Lived wouldn't be joining the Wizarding World, making Ember get closer to Harry in shock and fear.

Harry put his arm around the young girl, wondering why she was like this, he would have to ask her later. For now he had to explain himself, "I'm not sure about Ember's story, but for me I learnt about magic when I was young. I was attacked by Witch Hunters, and the Mystic Knights rescued me and informed me about it. The Mystics and the Wizarding World, and I have to admit, that because what I learnt about the Wizarding World back then, I didn't see myself coming into it. As the Wizarding World seemed to be stuck in the Dark Ages

"What do you mean?" asked a confused Ron.

"Whilst you were brought up in the world, you wouldn't understand," Harry explained to the young red head, "but for me we no long use torches and candles to see in the dark. Whilst you have Portkeys and the Floo to get around instead of horses, the Muggles have cars, planes and things to get around, sure it isn't as fast, but we have to do what we can without magic. But because of that we've been able to go into space, and land on the Moon, and a probe on Mars, and have sent things to other planets too. We have many things that your Wizarding World could never dream of to make our life better.

"And as for the class that we learn at Hogwarts, the only decent class I can think of are Potions, Charms and Herbology, the rest have no real use in the everyday life. You might think differently seeing as you live in this world, but this is how I feel. Either way, why would I want to come to a world that I see has no benefits for me to go into the world. I could easily learn magic myself, or learn from the Mystics. The only reason I am going, is to see where my parents went to learn what they knew, and see if I can find more about them."

"Ah I think I can understand that, I guess…" Ron admitted. Ron would admit he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and that he hated to read, but he could understand from someone who he heard was raised within, to think about coming to the Wizarding World when they used to a different world. (Although it would be a horror if the Boy-Who-Lived didn't go to Hogwarts.) And with the Mystics around, it was possible for those with magic to learn a different sort of magic, something Ron didn't want to do. Sure it sounded interesting, but it would mean more work and something he did not want to do. So to change the subject, he said, "So Harry, I heard you went to live with Muggles, what are Muggles like?"

"Well most of them are awful, at least the ones I lived around, but there are a few good ones. My aunt uncle and cousin are especially awful, though." Harry commented. "So Ember, what about you? Do you have a family?"

"They are dead." was all that Ember said, she did so emotionlessly, her voice was cold and dead.

Neither Ron or Harry knew what to say to that, so to move on from the subject, Harry said, "Wish I had three wizard brothers like you."

"Five brothers," Ron corrected automatically. For some reason he was looking gloomy, "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left the house - Bill was Head Boy and Charlie was Quidditch Captain for his team. Percy's a Prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new either. Not when you have five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was currently asleep. Before he could explain anything about the rat Harry quickly said, "Ron can you put your rat back in your jacket."

Ron did so, wondering what the other boy was so jumpy about all of a sudden. "Why? Are you afraid of rats?"

"No, but Aneira here might eat it." Harry replied as he pointed to his Tigran, and then pointing to Ember's fox, "If not Aneira, Ember's fox, Vixen, might."

"Oh, I didn't even notice them, thanks for the warning. Anyway, his name is Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a Prefect, but they couldn't aff- I mean, I got Scabbers instead." Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he said too much, because he went back to staring out the window.

'_So Ron's family doesn't have much money?'_ Harry thought with interest, this could be useful and dangerous to him. Useful as he could use that fact that he was famous and had money to get them on his side. Dangerous as if one or two were the jealous type, they could backstab to others to make a name for themselves. And if they were the kind of people who didn't care about money, then there could be a different type of problems to deal with. For now Harry would have to see what Ron was like, and act accordingly.

Harry was thinking about changing the subject, when he looked out of the window and saw that they weren't in a tunnel like they were earlier. They were above ground and moving away from London.

With one last look out of the window, Harry asked, "So, tell me, what you think we should do until we get to Hogwarts, if you're so averse to reading?"

This got Ron thinking, what should he do, and then he thought of something, "Do you know the game Exploding Snap?"

"No, how do you play it?" Harry replied, with Ember nodding in agreement.

With that Ron started to teach Harry and Ember how to play Exploding Snap.

_**o0OoO0o**_

It has been about two hours since Ron started to teach Harry and Ember how to play Exploding Snap. There seemed to be three variants of Exploding Snap. The first one, the "Classical" Game, is quite simple, however it requires some reflex. The rules are simple: when you see two identical pictures, hit the card with the top of your wand – one point is yours. The player with the most points wins the game. The hard part is, the cards shuffle faster and faster. The second one, the "Patience" Game, is a bit harder. You have twenty cards and you reveal them in pairs. You have to find two identical pictures. Cards explode soon after you reveal them for the first time (of course, if you don't find a pair before). The third variant is Bavarian Rules Snap. In this variant, cards are dealt in a circle, with identical cards to those already dealt being placed in the centre. The identical cards must be tapped in a limited time frame, or else all of the cards will explode.

As they played Exploding Snap, Ember just sat next to Harry, nervously as the cards exploded every so often. Whilst she wouldn't talk about her past or family, Harry got the feeling that she wasn't used to being around people and wasn't used to loud sounds. Not for the first time since Harry met her, he wondered what happened to her to be like this. It didn't mean he didn't like the outcome of it, for whatever reason she had glued herself to him, and he was thinking about how to use that.

Ron talked about his family, and from what Harry could tell, he was the jealous type, and wanted the easy life, not wanting to work for thing, Whilst Ron didn't say it out loud, Harry got the feeling that Ron suspected things to be handed to him, because he had a hard life. Harry could laugh at this, Ron knew nothing of hard life, and that to get a better life he had to work for it, just like Harry did himself. But Harry knew that it was still early, and Ron might yet be useful, so he would keep an eye on the red head, but would be careful around him.

As for Harry, he talked a little about himself, nothing big that would reveal too much about himself. Only that he was attacked by Witch Hunters when he was younger, which allowed him to learn about the Magical World and his parents, and went to Mystic Island. He also admitted he could do Wandless Magic, but not that he had other powers other than knowing how to use Requip Magic, that he learnt over the last two weeks.

During their time, Ember admitted hearing about what Harry could do, and that Ron was from a Wizarding Family, she would be the worst in her year. But Ron assured her that she wouldn't be, as there were loads of people who came from the Muggle World as well, and even those growing up in the Magical World weren't that far ahead, since most people couldn't do magic until they get their wands when they turned eleven.

They also talked a bit about Merlin's Station and how the Mystics were involved in the creation of it. It started when Harry asked why people took the train instead of a Portkey or the Floo, when Ron admitted that although he didn't know why, he did know that it was thanks to the Mystics that Merlin's Station came to be. From what Ron remembered one of his brothers telling him, when the Mystics learnt about how the old Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was made, was worried about how much magic was used to create it and that should something happen to the old Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, it could not only destroy King's Cross, but also half of London with the explosion of magic.

So to make sure that it wouldn't happen, they helped to create Merlin's Station, where not only would there be a train to Hogwarts, but most of England. Ron thought that the Hogwarts Express was created for Muggles, because of the laws surrounding them, and over time it only came common for them to use the train, and didn't think twice when Merlin's Station was created, and now often use it to get to places. And if what Ron heard from his father was right, they were trying to create more magical underground stations to be able to travel around the world and not only in England. Ron also explained that unlike before where the train only stopped once they got to Hogwarts, the Hogwarts Express would take a different route to pick up students around the country. As the Mystic found it stupid for people to travel far to get to London and return to wherever they came from, this way they would go to key points where the Mystics created so that new students wouldn't have to go far. And to make up the time travel to and from London and Hogwarts, they made the train faster.

During his talks about the Mystics, Harry sensed that Ron might have a problem with the Mystics, so he asked the redhead about it. Ron admitted that he wasn't sure what to think about them, seeing he was brought up within the Wizarding World, he didn't like them changing things that didn't need to be changed. He like his mother didn't see the reason for change, when thing were fine as it was, and the Mystics was forcing change on them when many didn't want the change to happen.

On the other hand, Ron had to admit that the changes that the Mystics did make, were good ones and if some of them weren't trying to change the WIzarding World's believes and customs, more would be willing to be okay with them. For now Ron was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, and make up his own opinion of them.

As they played Exploding Snap Harry felt good to finally be a kid, and not Maverick, and running a business. It's not like he didn't enjoy being Maverick, and running his business, and working on to become a famous Dark Lord. No, a Overlord. But it felt nice to just be a kid. So he decided that whilst he was at Hogwarts, he could take a break for a while and just be a kid.

After finishing another game of Exploding Snap, Harry was feeling hungry, and so looked at the watch that Charlotte give him and saw it was one o'clock. And asked Ember and Ron, "Hey guys, would you like to come with me to the restaurant carriage that I saw at front?"

"Sure Harry." Ember said with a smile.

"No thanks, my mum made me some lunch." Ron sighed as he took out a lumpy package and then upon unwrapping it, revealed four sandwiches. He pulled one of them apart, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef." Ron declared glumly.

"Are you sure about that?" Harry asked with a smile, but inside he was hoping that Ron would deny the request, but part of his plan for going to Hogwarts required this. He needed to be seen making friends with the light sided people, and from what Harry could tell Ron was from such a light sided family. So he needed Ron to cover his bases, so knowing this he said, "Your sandwiches seem dry, why not come with me and I'll get you something fresh. I would like us to be friends, and I help my friends out. And do you want to spend all your time in this compartment all the way to Hogwarts, it would be no fun?"

Ron looked thoughtful at this, before deciding, "If you don't mind I would like that, as you said, it would be no fun spending all my time in here."

So with that the three of them left the compartment, leaving Aneira and Vixen behind, and headed off to the restaurant carriage of the train.

_**o0OoO0o**_

As Harry, Ember and Ron walked through the carriages, they saw many of the compartments full of parents with their children. It would seem that none of the parents wanted to leave their children until they reached Hogwarts, after an attack on their children Harry could understand this. He was glad that none of them recognized him yet, sure he wanted the publicity, but he wanted to wait at least until he got to Hogwarts before it happened.

Either way, as they got to the restaurant carriage, Harry and Ember saw it was like a few café back at King's Cross. The counter was found at the bottom of the carriage, and they had to pass a few tables to get there, a few of them were attached to the windows, and some tables were set of as booths. There was soft music playing as they came into the carriage.

As they got to the counter, it was set up with a refrigerated display case as the counter, where all the cakes and other good food was kept. Along the wall was not only a hot display case to keep the food hot, but a cooler to keep the drinks cool, and a few other hot food stands too. And at each end of the refrigerated display case, there was two vending carts full of sweets. In one cart, they had the basics sweets Harry knew of, and in the other they had Bertie Bott's Every flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Ron's eyes was almost popped out of his eyes as he saw this, and said, "I have to give it to the Mystics, they do know how to do a setup like this."

"This is nothing, on some high class Muggle Trains, they have some better things than this." Harry informed Ron, "Now you two, pick a few things and I'll pay for them."

Ron got a few of the Wizarding World sweets and drinks, along with some hot food, Harry was glad that he didn't over do it. Not wanting to miss anything. Harry and Ember purchased a mixer of Muggle and Wizarding items, a few of the things that they got was Chocolate Frogs for himself, Cockroach Clusters, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and a few other items. Ember was confused until it was explained to her that the Chocolate Frogs and Cockroach Clusters were just enchanted chocolate and not candy coated frogs. Although they were warned that when they said Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, they _meant _every flavoured and should be careful when eating them, as they wouldn't know what they were eating.

Harry was about to pay, when the lady behind the counter said, "This is free of charge Mr. Potter."

"Why is that?" Harry asked the sales lady curiously, "Is it because I'm the Boy-Who-Lived?"

"No, although I would have give you a discount," the lady said with a smile, "no, this is for what you did earlier."

"What did Harry do?" Ron asked curiously.

"Haven't you seen the news yet?" asked the sales lady.

"No we have, we've been in our compartment." explained Ron.

"But didn't you use your Viewing Lacrima in your compartment?" asked the lady, "There's one in each compartment."

"Didn't know there was one in there." this came from Harry.

"Oh I keep on telling the boss that we should have a list as to what compartments have in them nowadays." the sales lady said with a sigh. Without another word she pulled her wand out of her side-holster, and waved it, and a few seconds later a Viewing Lacrima lowered from the ceiling, and as she turned it on, she said to Ron, "This is what I mean about what Mr. Potter did."

Harry and Ron saw a white male seating at a disk, with the letters WNN, behind him, they didn't know what the channel was, but they watched on to see why the lady put it on.

"_Welcome back to Wizardry News Network, I'm Nick Fox," said the male news reporter, "For those who are just joining us, let us recap on the main news so far today. At eleven o'clock this morning, Merlin's Station was attacked by a group known to the Wizarding World as The Acolytes. Those who are new to the Wizarding World, The Acolytes are a group of terrorist from ten years ago that whilst depended for a while, still make a noise of themselves."_

_As he was saying this, behind him was a film of the attack as it happened. "I know many of you are worried about this, but you don't have to be. This was the first big attack in years, and it was stopped thanks to the Mystic Knights. Whilst that alone would be news by itself, what made it bigger and the reason that our cameras were there in the first place was who helped with defending the students and their family, was none other than Harry Potter, or those in the Wizarding World call him the Boy-Who-Lived." And film changed to where Harry was wielding his sword, as he defended the students and their family, the reporter went on to say, "Those who are new to our world, Harry Potter is known for -"_

That was all Harry and Ron saw, as the sales lady flicked her wand and the Viewing Lacrima went back into the ceiling. "Wow Harry, did you really do that? How come you're using a sword?" Ron asked in fear, awe and shock, but with a hint of jealousy. Harry could tell that Ron didn't like that someone else was getting the attention and not him. He knew that would have to be careful around the kid, as Harry knew that jealousy can become a problem.

But for now he would bare with it, in time Ron might get over himself and be a better person, so he said, "That's me, although I wasn't suspecting that there would be a camera there, I did what I had to help those who needed it." That was a lie, he knew that there was a camera, not a news reporter though, as he set it up for one of the people he worked with to be there with one. So that should the Acolytes attack and the Mystic Knights didn't come, it would be recorded and so he could leak it to the news out later. And if the Mystic Knights did take his warning seriously and defend the train, should Harry decide to help, they would be there to take the pictures and leak them to the news. Harry never suspected the news reporters to be there, then again he should have, he was the Boy-Who-Lived and to everyone concerned this would be the first time back in the Wizarding World and news reporters would want to get a picture and an interview with him if they could talk to him.

Either way back with Ron's question about the sword, he answered with a half-lie, "I learnt how to use the sword over the summer, as I learnt that magic can't always win a fight and would need another way to defend myself. Which is why I learned to use a sword, I'm not that good yet, I'm only alive now because they weren't expecting me to fight back using a sword. Next time I might not be so lucky."

"Okay…" was all Ron said, not really getting it, but the sales lady smiled but said nothing, as she did. As magic can't always win a battle, either if the other person was more powerful, or they had some other way to defeat the other person's magic.

Anyway, after they got their sweets and were told about where the Viewing Lacrima could be found, the three eleven year olds returned to their compartment to eat their sweets. The first of the magical sweets that Harry and Ember tried were the Chocolate Frogs, which they found would jump around for a few moments before they stopped so they could eat them. It was disturbing at first, as they looked and acted like real frogs, it was only until they ate the first one that they realized they won't. But the three did have fun watching Aneira and Vixen playing with them as they jumped about to get away from them.

As they finished eating their frogs, Ember was about to toss her wrappers away, only to pause as she found small cards with a person on the front among the wrappings. "What are these?"

"What?" Ron asked, looking up from where he'd been wadding up his Chocolate Frog wrapper into a ball. Seeing the cards in Harry's and Ember's hand "Oh, you two wouldn't know about those would you? There are collectible cards that come with the Frogs. Ooh, that one's Agrippa, I'm missing that one!" Seeing the card in Harry's hand.

Harry absently tossed him the card and looked through the cards from the Frog he'd eaten earlier, one of them was a very stereotype of a wizard staring back at him testily. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair. His beard and moustache were truly wizard quality, and Harry wondered if it was a requirement for Wizards to have beards, after having met Hagrid. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.

"So _this_ is Dumbledore!" Harry said thoughtfully.

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" Ron said only to remember their previous conversation.

"Oh I know of him, but I never seen a picture of him." explained Harry as he flipped the card over and read the information on the back.

_ALBUS DUMBLEDORE_

_Currently Headmaster of Hogwarts_

_Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times,_

_Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the_

_Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the_

_twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work in the field of_

_Alchemy with his partner, Nicholas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore_

_enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling._

Harry turned the card back over, Ember saw, to her confusion, that Dumbledore's picture had disappeared. "He's… gone?" Ember wondered aloud.

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day." Ron joked, as if it was obvious. "He'll be back. Bollocks,_ I got Morgana again and I have about six of her _... do you want it? You can start collecting."

"In the Muggle World people just stay put in photos." Ember revealed.

"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "_Weird!_"

But Harry smiled at his new friend and said, "I know how you feel Ember, when I first found out about magical pictures being about to move, I also found it strange. Although from what I've been able to find out, the pictures that have frames in other homes can move between them so they can talk to the people in the homes. But for cards like these, I have no idea why they leave and where they go to. I never thought about collecting them to be honest, no real point, but if you're into such things go ahead."

Ember stared at the card as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card, just like Ron said it would do. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Ember couldn't keep her eyes off them. She found them interesting, and wanted to collect them, as it looked fun and would get some cool pictures that could move. Soon she had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcraft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. After a while, she finally tore her eyes away from the Druid Priestess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to snatch one of his bags of Bertie Bott's Every flavour Beans from the seat next to her.

"You want to be careful with those." Ron warned Ember, "When the sales lady warned us that they do every flavour, she wasn't kidding, she did mean they do _every_ flavour. Oh you'll get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. My brother George reckons he had a booger flavoured one once."

Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner. "Bleaaargh! See? Sprouts!"

They had a good time eating the Every flavour Beans. Harry and Ember got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.

_**o0OoO0o**_

Soon they begun to see the countryside, now flying past the window, was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone, replaced with woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills. Every so often they would go underground to pick up the students going to Hogwarts. A few parents got off the train when they did so, as they had other children back home that they left at King's Cross to get back to, but the rest stayed on the train.

As the time passed, there were a few people coming into the compartment to give thanks to Harry for helping them at Merlin's Station. At one point there was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters came in looking like he had lost something.

"Sorry, but have you seen a black and white cat at all?" He asked with a sniffle.

When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"I'm sorry that we couldn't help you." Harry said, only for a bit of knowledge to pop into his head. "Have you looked in the Luggage Compartment? He may have ended up there to sleep, to get away from all the sound at."

"If you want, I can check if he is there for you." Ember told the young boy.

"Can you really?" asked the boy.

"Yes, if I remember his name is Trevor right?" Ember asked as she remembered the boy and his cat from earlier.

"Yes it is." said the boy.

And with that Ember closed her eyes, and got a clear image in her mind of the cat that she saw, and within a few moments she got an image. The image was of the black and white cat that she saw earlier, surrounded by cages, coats, trunks and other things around it.

Seeing this, Ember said with a yawn, "Ha-Harry's right, h-he's in the Luggage Com-Compartment."

"Thank you, I'll look there now." The round-faced boy said without question, before he hurriedly left to find his toad.

"Ha-Harry, I'm go-going to sl-sleep," Ember said with another yawn, "I-I've used t-too much magic to-today. Please c-call me when we-we get to H-Hogwarts."

"That's alright Ember, thank you for your help, you were very useful today." Harry said with a smile, as she lay next to him.

"Th-Thank you Ha-Harry." Ember said as she went to sleep with a smile on her face, as all she wanted for a long time was to be useful to someone.

"What is wrong with her?" Ron asked Harry.

"I'm not too sure, but with helping me this morning during the fight, and using that little magic, I would say she used too much magic and her body can't handle too much power." Harry explained to the red head, "As you may or may not know, whilst Mystics are used to magic, unless they keep a healthy body and train it to sustain the magic, we grow weak and sleepy until we get our strength back. So Ember is just resting to regain her strength."

"Never really thought about it, my family only used wands to help us use magic," explained Ron, "so we never we had that kind of problem unless we use too much magic - which is rare."

"I see, for now allow her to sleep." Harry said with a smile, as her fox Vixen jumped up next to her master.

"I'll be honest here, I'm a bit jealous of you two." Ron said honestly. "You two have two great pets, and all I have is Scabbers." He pointed towards his pet; the rat was still snoozing in his pocket."He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference." Ron grumbled in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I can show you, if you'd like?"

"Sure, just let me get a hold on Aneira so you can cast it." Harry said before picking Aneira up and setting her in the crook of his arm on her back, gently rubbing her belly just how she liked. Normally cats didn't like lying like that, but Aneira loved it; it was the only time he'd ever seen her drool. She hissed and scratched him when he teased her about it. He remembered that with a small wince.

Whilst Harry was doing this, Ron was rummaging around in his robes and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end. "Unicorn hair's nearly poking out," said Ron, as his ears going pink again as he took Scabbers out of his jacket. "Anyway -"

He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. A girl entered the compartment; she was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes. "Has anyone seen a black and white cat? A boy named Neville Longbottom lost one." She asked. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

"He stopped in earlier. Harry told him to look in the Luggage Compartment." Ron answered, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.

"Oh! Are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." She blurted, entering the compartment and setting across from Ron, next to Harry, and leaning forward to see the spell up close. Ron looked taken aback by her initiative.

"Err, all right." He cleared his throat.

"_Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow." _Ron began to chant as he waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep. So he put the rat back into his jacket.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" The girl asked, her bossy tone coming out. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family is magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard - I've memorized all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" She introduced herself, seemingly all in one breathe.

Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned the entire set of course books by heart either. He'd read all his books, and even a bit extra, but he hadn't _memorized them._ If that was the norm he'd be in trouble. Thankfully, that didn't appear to be the case, and he wasn't going to be left in the dust.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter, and the girl sleeping next to me is Ember." Harry said as he waved his hand over Ember, barely finished before the girl was suddenly invading his personal space.

"Are you really?" Hermione gushed, seemingly ignoring the small growl from the cat in Harry's arms that was quickly getting louder. "I know all about you, I got a few extra books for background reading. You're in _Modern Magical History_and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century__._"

Harry quickly scratched a few spots on his pet to calm her down before she transformed and did more harm than good, namely crushing him and then ripping the throat out of the bushy haired girl. "I've read those books too, and I can tell you that they're nothing but lies," Harry argued. If there is one thing that he hated it was people who assumed they knew things about other people.

"B-but the books said -" Hermione began.

"I know what the books said, and while they have a few good theories as to how I survived," Harry admitted, "That's all they are; theories. There were only two people that knew what happened that night. You-Know-Who certainly wouldn't say anything; even if you agree with some of the theories that think he's still alive out there somewhere. And me, and seeing as I was only a baby, I don't remember what happened that night apart from a flash of green light. And I never given an interview, it wasn't possible for me to say anything. So unless there was a third person there - and they'll have a lot to answer for if there was - all the writers are only guessing as to what happened that night."

"B-but…" Hermione tried to say something, but went silent as she realized he was right, if there was anybody alive who could argue with the history books, it was the boy in front of her. Harry sighed as he realized he was venting at her; she didn't deserve that. "Look, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to throw all that at you. I'm just sick of people assuming they know everything because they read what some hack wrote for a quick Qui-err, Galleon. It's a good lesson though, not all books are completely correct, just because it's published doesn't mean books are free of human error." Harry explained.

"…Yeah … I need to think about this." Hermione said softly. Harry couldn't really blame her, he knew her type, and what he did had, hopefully, just flipped her view on the world on its ear. "I'll go and find Neville and help him find his cat while I think this out." Just as she was leaving, she turned, seemingly regaining some of her bearings, "You two had better get changed, I've we'll be at Hogwarts within the next hour or two. You should wake your friend up too, so she can get dressed too."

"I'll wake Ember when we're closer to Hogwarts, she not long went to sleep," explained Harry, "I'll let her rest a bit more."

Hermione just nodded at this, before she left.

"Whatever House I'm in, I hope she's not in it." Ron mumbled as he threw his wand back into his trunk.

"Normally I'd agree with you, I really don't like people like that, know-it-alls, but I'm hoping what I told her will make her calm down before she gets too jealous about it." Harry defended the girl who just left.

"Oh boy, another Percy, he's like that." Ron said with a sigh, ignoring what his friend had been trying to do. "Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

"You told me that he and his twin are pranksters, is it possible they give you a spell as some sort of prank?" Harry asked with a smile, as Ron had a look of realization as he realized he had fallen for one of their pranks again. Than with interest he asked. "What House are your brothers in anyway?"

"Gryffindor," gloom seemed to be settling on him again as he answered, "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw wouldbe too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"I've been told that's the House Voldemort was in, right?" Harry asked curiously.

"You, you said You-Know-Who's name." Ron said in shock.

"Well in the Muggle World we have a say, 'Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself,'" Harry explained to the young boy, "so I don't see a reason to fear saying the name. What is the worse going to happen? He'll jump out at us? Isn't he meant to be dead, so why fear his name? So if I don't fear his name, someone who have more reason to than most, why should anyone else fear it?"

"Hmm, you might be right, but those who were brought up in this world are brought up to fear it," explain Ron, "it'll be hard to impossible to change that. But yes, he was in Slytherin, or so they say." Ron replied sourly. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

"So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?" Harry asked, trying to take Ron's mind off Houses. He'd also been wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," Ron answered, he wasn't too sure what Bill did since his second oldest brother moved around so much. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the _Daily Prophet - _but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles - someone tried to rob a high security vault."

Harry blinked. "Really what happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news, they haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get around Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

Harry turned this news over in his mind.

"What's your favourite Quidditch team?" Ron asked, trying to help his new friend get his mind off the news when he noticed how hard he was thinking about it.

"Err… I've never seen a game of Quidditch," Harry told Ron, "as I've never been able to watch or play the game from where I came from."

"What!?" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, just you wait, it's the best game in the world -"

And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. To be honest, Harry didn't really see the point of Quidditch, as more often than not, the winner of the game was when someone called the Seeker, caught the Snitch, as it scores one hundred and fifty points. So he might not join the school team, but he would have to see how things goes how what people suspect of him. Anyway, Ron was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again. It wasn't Neville or Hermione this time though.

Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once. It was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop; Draco Malfoy. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.

"Is it true?" He said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?" Draco said with a sneer.

"Yes Draco, it's me." Harry replied. He was looking at the other boys; both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards. "Although I have to wonder what took you so long to find?"

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle." Draco tossed out carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking, ignoring Harry's question, "I'm sorry about how I acted back then."

"Do you know this kid mate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah this is Draco Malfoy." Harry said.

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who _you_ are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some Wizarding Families are much better than others, Harry. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it. "I think I can tell who are the wrong sort for myself thanks." He drawled, using a similar tone to the one Draco had just used.

Draco didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter." He said slowly, his mood doing a 180. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

Both Harry and Ron stood up. Harry could sense that Ron was going to say something, so to stop Ron from doing something stupid Harry smirked and said, "I see… for someone who wants to be in the House of the cunning you're still not acting very cunning at all. In fact, one could even call the tactic you're using brash and, I dare say… Gryffindor"

Draco pulled out his wand. "How dare you say that I'm a Gryffindor? Wait until my father hears of this." Draco cried his controlled and cultured voice flying out the window, replaced with a petulant whine.

"Still crying to your father when you can't get your own way, what a Daddy's Boy," Harry waved dismissively, his own wand appearing his hand as Aneira, in a small flash of frost, suddenly grew to the size of a large dog. And Vixen who was resting next to her master, jumped down next to Aneira ready to fight to. Ron sniggered as Harry gave his ultimatum. "Either you use that wand, and _please _do, or leave us alone. I'd prefer it if I can claim self defence when the Professors are trying to punish me for sending you to the infirmary."

Seeing the strange wand and the Tigran, Malfoy made a wise choice and left in a hurry.

A second later, Hermione appeared in the still open doorway. "What _has _been going on?" She said her tone significantly less bossy than the first time she'd appeared. She blinked as she caught site of Aneira changing back, and Vixen jumping back up to her master. "What… is that? She looked like a tiger a second ago."

"So you've met Malfoy before?" Ron asked, ignoring Hermione's question in favour of asking Harry what he wanted to know. Seeing as Hermione looked curious as well, Harry gesture for her to take her old seat before he explained his and Draco's meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family." Ron said darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?" He said rudely, ignoring Harry's hard look.

"Yes, what is that tiger, uh, kitten?" Hermione corrected herself as saw it transform into a kitten.

"Oh Aneira is a Tigran." Harry answered, "She has an ability to transform into the animal you just saw."

"I just came to tell you that you'd better hurry up and put your robes on." She answered Ron's question, "I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"No we weren't fighting." Ron snapped, as he scowled at her, "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right - I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors." Hermione snapped back at him, something Harry couldn't fault her for, seeing as Ron was being rude. Cutting them off before they could start sniping at each other Harry said, "Alright, thanks Hermione. Can you wait outside for a bit? I'll wake Ember up and send her out to talk to you as we change if you want."

Hermione shook her head. "No thanks, I need to get back to my compartment to put my books away; I'll see you once we get there?" She asked, to which Ron glared at her. Harry ignored him, giving the girl a smile and a quick "Sure." before she left.

Once she left Harry woke Ember up, so she could leave and he and Ron could change. He wasn't worried about her seeing him naked, or he she, he was used to that back at the Asylum. No he didn't want Ron seeing her naked for some reason, the mere idea just made him mad. About ten minutes later both he, Ember and Ron had gotten their robes on, Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down. Ron, who'd procrastinated, finally put on his robes. Harry couldn't help but notice they didn't seem to fit him; he could see the boy's sneakers underneath the hem of his robe.

A voice echoed through the train. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in ten minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school separately."

The three of them crammed the last of their candy wrappers into their pockets, in Ron's case, or into their trunk in Harry's and Ember's, before joining the crowd thronging the corridor. Aneira was once more cradled in the crook of Harry's arm, relaxing on her back and drooled ever so slightly on Harry's sleeve as he scratched her belly.

Ron finally got around to saying what he'd been meaning to say for a while, "Bloody hell mate, you have a pretty cool Familiar there. I was wondering why you had two pets."

"Thanks Ron." Harry said with a proud smile. "I think she's pretty cool too."

Before Ron could ask more, the train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform. Where some of the students were saying their goodbyes once again to their families, who stayed with them until now. Harry shivered in the cold night air, huddling Aneira closer to his chest, both for personal warmth and so she didn't get cold; which he would later realized was pointless, consider her race, she was probably more comfortable in the cold than he was anyway. A lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice; "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! Aw wight 'here, Harry?" Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

As Ron, Ember and Harry followed Hagrid, Harry felt that this was a new start for him, and many interesting things were waiting for him around the corner.

_**TO BE CONTINUED!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the third part of the new saga of The Blood Stone Saga, I would like to thank you for reading it, and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. I would love to get any ideas and suggestions you might have. If you don't like the story… don't bother about leaving a hate review… it doesn't affect me or how I will be writing in the future, then I'm not interested. If you feel that there needs to be a little improvement then please point that out to me and any suggestions how to the story better. I'm happy to say this chapter has been my biggest one yet, sadly unless I can come up with something, the next chapter won't be as big.

_**I'm also still looking for ideas for pranks, and I hope you can help with this as I'm wanting a few magical and non-magical ones. Please help me out here, as I'm after some ideas and would like to use some of them soon.**_

Seeing that so many are against the idea of the Confundus Charm, I would like ideas of how Harry's friends become Dark and join him. Any and all ideas are welcomed.

Now some of you don't like the idea of the Outcasts, but they are a plot idea, and can't be removed. I can try and delay adding some of them. But by the start of third year, the Outcasts will be important to the story. The Outcasts from the last version are as following,:

Hermione Granger.

Melody Granger.

Hannah Abbott.

The Patil Twins.

Luna Lovegood.

Daphne Greengrass.

Blaise Zabini.

Tracey Davis.

Moaning Myrtle (House Ghost)

Susan Bones.

(These are the popular kids, so might be hard to fit into the Outcast.)

Angelina Johnson.

Katie Bell.

Alicia Spinnet.

The Weasley Twins.

Cedric Diggory.

Three final things, the first two is from my new Beta Reader, he has pointed out to me that I tend to have the indicator of who is talking after. Example: "I won't do it" said Harry. And he thought that I should swap it to "I won't do it" Harry said. I'll be honest and say I have no idea what he is talking about, and so would like your thought and what you think about this.

Second, my Beta Reader, Benny37760, as started his first ever story a Harry Potter/Bleach story called The Fall of London, and asked me to ask you my readers if you could spare some time and read his story. As he would like to hear what you think of his first story.

And lastly the OC Mystic that appeared in this chapter, the Mystic Ember Veil was created by Belphy. (I'm going to change a few things, but this is the profile that he sent me.)

Name: Ember Veil, but is called Nue by everyone

Age: 12

Gender: female

Appearance: small for her age, with short honey blonde hair and amber eyes. Quite cute. Usually wears a long sleeved red top and a black skirt with boots. Always has a pair of blue headphones.

Personality: is very quiet and soft spoken. Spends most of her time talking to her familiar, a fox. Is often considered a doll due to her not showing many emotions at all.

History: often spent her time watching anime, she soon discovered that she could replicate certain powers shown in her favourite shows, however an incident with her powers resulted in her burning the house down killing her family. Running away she met her familiar kit, the fox who helped her control her powers. Ember eventually came back into society with her letter for Hogwarts.

Powers: Ember has the ability to manipulate Gravity, she can also use clairvoyance to find people and see things occurring from far away. She based her gravity powers on Adolf K Weismann's and the clairvoyance on Kushina Anna, both from the anime K project.

Strengths: she is able to see things occurring far away and can track anyone down so long as she has an image and name of the person. Using her gravity powers she can create quick getaways since she can also use the power on others so long as they are nearby. She can also float in the sky and avoid combat that way.

Weaknesses: Her weaknesses are her lack of strength and stamina, to much use of her powers knocks her out and she is hopeless at combat. She is also afraid of people close to her dying, and gets attached to easily.

Alignment: she doesn't care what side she's on so long as she is needed and that they treat her well.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story. And so you know, there's a poll on my fanfiction profile, that'll decide which story I should work on next, I hope you leave a review of you can't vote, and if you can, please do so.

_**Next time on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ In the next chapter, we'll have the Sorting… there's not much else about it, so thanks for reading. I do have a request, I'm looking for first year fics, where Harry is Dark and is a Gryffindor, if you know any that's NOT slash or Harry as a female, please let me know. As I would like to gain a few ideas as to what to do once I sorted him into Gryffindor.


	12. Chapter 10 - The Blood Stone - Part 4

_**Chapter Ten… **_

_**The Blood Stone - Part 4!**_

_**(The Sorting!)**_

_1st of September - Hogwarts:_

Harry, Ron and Ember were lead by Hagrid to the boats that took them to the castle known as Hogwarts. In Harry's and Ember's minds, the sight was awe-inspiring and amazing. It felt as if they had came home after being away from it for years. The boat ride was about twenty minutes long. After the boat ride Hagrid lead them to huge, oak front door, where he knocked on it three times.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in an emerald-green robe stood there. She had a very stern face, leading Harry to believe that she wasn't someone you wanted to be on the bad side of. Harry knew that he would have to be very careful with this witch, and try and not get on her bad side.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid greeted.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." The witch announced primly.

She pulled the door wide. The Entrance Hall was easily large enough to hold all of the first years, giving them plenty of room. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the older years had likely taken a faster route, Harry guessed - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the main hall. The first years crowded in peering about nervously, and standing closer together than they would have been normally.

Professor McGonagall saw Harry and the cat that he was holding and must have recognized who he was, like everyone else, as she said, "Mr. Potter, I don't know if you knew this, but you should have left your cat on the train." The children sniggered at what they assumed was a safety blanket of sorts for Harry. "It would have been safe and would be in your dorm by the end of the night."

"I know that Professor, and if she was a normal pet I would have, but Aneira isn't a normal pet; she's my familiar." Harry said politely.

"Please Mr. Potter do not lie to me, you're too young to have a familiar." Professor McGonagall said sternly.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "I realize the oddity of the situation, but I don't enjoy being called a liar, Professor. There should be a spell you can use to check, if you'd like to confirm it." He suggested.

Professor McGonagall was of two minds, she didn't want to be made a fool of, if he really was telling the truth, but then again, young Mr. Potter thought that his cat was his familiar. The spell that he spoke of was easy to cast, and would easily clear things up quickly, so she pulled her wand out and cast the spell. To her shock, the spell proved that Aneira was indeed Mr. Potter's familiar. "I must apologize, Mr. Potter you are correct she is indeed your familiar. I shall inform the other Professors about this, as she'll need to be near you as much as possible until the bond is fully formed. You're the first student to have one at a young age in at least two hundred years or so. If you need anything, please let me know and I'll see what I can do for you."

The other students looked at Harry in awe and jealousy for having a familiar at a young age, but he ignored the looks as he replied, "Thank you Professor."

"Now that that's out of the way; welcome everyone to Hogwarts." The Professor declared proudly. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House Common Room.

"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and then there is Slytherin." Harry spotted a bit of venom at the word of Slytherin, as if Professor McGonagall hated that House for some reason. "Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.

"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." She instructed before she left the chamber.

"How exactly do they Sort us into Houses?" Harry asked Ron, who jumped at his sudden question. He'd apparently been lost in his thoughts.

"I don't know mate, some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." He answered.

"If it is from him, then it's more than likely a joke…" Harry assured him confidently.

As he waited he looked around and saw that everyone else looked worried or stressed; some even outright terrified. No one was talking much except Hermione, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. His eyes rolled back to the door; any second now Professor McGonagall would come back and he wouldn't have to keep denying the rising level of panic he was experiencing. He blamed the other kids; if only they would calm down.

"I don't know what our world is coming to," Harry heard Draco Malfoy say to those who would listen, most likely trying to sound big or something, "why are they entertaining these Mystics so much."

"I know what you mean Draco," said a female voice, "they are trying to change our way of life to fit their into ours, all because ours seem updated. What right do they have to change our ways? They shouldn't even be allowed to be in our world, nor at Hogwarts."

As Harry turned round to see who was talking to Malfoy, he saw a girl with dark brown hair and soft features, but her striking green eyes give her a bit of an edge. Not only that, but she had a pig-face sort of face. Harry sighed at this, and asked "Again Malfoy? For someone who wants to be in Slytherin, you really don't know anything about cunning do you?"

"What are you talking about Potter." Malfoy sneered at the young Potter.

"Simply put Malfoy, you are airing out your thoughts like a Gryffindor." explained Harry, "A true Slytherin and Heir to the Malfoy Family, you should keep your thoughts and beliefs to yourself. Otherwise people wouldn't want to deal with you in the future, as they'll know you can't keep your thoughts and beliefs to yourself."

This made Malfoy and the pig-face girl give Harry dark looks, as he was nothing more than a Half-Blood, and they were Pureblood, and he was talking down to them. What is worse is that the others were giggling at him because of this. Before Malfoy could say anything, several people behind them screamed.

He spun around, only to gasp, which was mirrored by several people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. Harry had read about ghosts being at Hogwarts, but reading about them and seeing them up close were two different things. They seemed to be arguing. A fat little monk continued on from what he'd been saying, as if floating through the wall hadn't interrupted their conversation at all, "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost-I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

"New students" The Fat Friar crowded, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old House, you know." The Friar boasted.

"Move along now, the Sorting Ceremony is about to start." A sharp voice sounded. The ghosts looked over and saw McGonagall had returned, so they drifted away again, once more arguing over whatever they'd been arguing over before they met the first years.

"Now, form a line." Professor McGonagall told the first years. "That's it, now follow me."

After they did so, with Ember holding onto Harry through fear, the massive set of double doors opened and they walked through them, they lead to the Great Hall. Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up there, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them made the first years even more nervous, which annoyed Harry even further as he couldn't help but feel nervous as well. Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in _Hogwarts: A History__._"

Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. It had a certain charm to it though, and Harry found he could easily imagine a wizard of old wearing it, both into battle and just around town.

He noticed that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat; he stared at it too, wondering what this was about. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and to Harry's shock, the hat began to sing:

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap_!

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap_!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred; he was going on about wrestling a troll."

"You're the one that believed him." Harry whispered back with a grin. "You did say he and his twin were pranksters, and this seems like a golden opportunity to prank you."

Before Ron could say anything, Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah"

There was a lot of tension in the air, and whoever this girl was didn't seem to be moving. Harry thought about what to do, to lighten the mood up a bit. Although he hadn't gotten far in his wandless magic, he _was _able to do a few spells from _Curses and Counter Curses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies)_. Over the month since he got the book, he practiced on his family and people at the Asylum.

Harry didn't use ones that would be pointed to him, or that magic was used, unless it was on his friends and family, sticking to Hair Loss and Jelly-Legs since the former wouldn't start to happen until Harry left for Hogwarts and the latter could be written off as a sudden case of clumsiness. He used practice spells too, but all of them could be written off in one way or another.

After some thought, Harry knew _who_ he was going to prank and with what spell. Slowly, to make sure no one would notice him, Harry cast a hair loss spell. Unlike the ones that had a time delay on them, as soon as he cast the spell Dumbledore's hair popped off of his head and face with an audible *poof* sound. The sight was amazing… at first no one dared to laugh, but then from the far right of Harry he heard laughing. Looking over he saw that Ron's brothers Fred and George were laughing, and soon everyone else was laughing too.

"Mr. and Mr. Weasley, how dare you prank the Headmaster!" Professor McGonagall said sternly.

Between laughs one said, "But we didn't Professor…"

"…We're neither that brave nor foolish to prank the Headmaster." The other twin continued while the first dissolved into laughter again.

"But whoever it was…"

"Is amazing!" they said together.

It took Dumbledore standing up and calling out, "Thank you… please calm down. To whoever is responsible for this prank, well done and congratulations to you, now please let us continue the Sorting…"

"Indeed, let's continue with the sorting." McGonagall agreed. "Abbott, Hannah"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of the line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes as she sat down. A moment's pause before the Sorting Hat shouted out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan"

"HUFFLEPUFF" Shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry"

"RAVENCLAW"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

Mandy Brocklehurst went to Ravenclaw too, but Lavender Brown became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.

Millicent Bulstrode then became a Slytherin.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin"

"HUFFLEPUFF"

To ignore his growing apprehension, Harry studied the habits of the Sorting. Sometimes the Hat would send the students on their way instantly, while other times it would take longer. Seamus Finnigan, for example, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the Sorting Hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR" Shouted the Hat after several moments, which made Ron groan.

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his cat, was called, the Hat took a long time to decide where to put Neville. After a while the Sorting Hat finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to Morag MacDougal.

When it got to Malfoy's turn, he swaggered forward when his name was called… this made Harry smirk as he decided to prank him. So with a wave of his hand, he cast a spell which made all of Malfoy's clothes to disappear. Which Harry regretted as soon as he did it, as the young Malfoy wore no underwear. The prank, whilst it also worked, back fired on him. This made him and many others ill, _'Eww… not the best well thought out prank.' _Harry thought to himself, slightly ill.

"Weasleys!" shouted one of the professors. The said professor, was a thin, spider-like man with a large hooked nose and greasy black shoulder-length hair. He ran towards Malfoy and conjured a robe for the boy to wear. "You have done it now, I'll see you expelled over this."

"But Professor Snape, we didn't do this…" said one of the twins, looking ill at the idea.

"... And we would never do such a thing…" said the other twin, who too looked ill, and who for the first time was honest about not doing such a prank. A cute/hot female yes, but a bloke, not in the wildest dreams would they do so.

"... Especially with a male student, as this might happen…" said the first twin.

"If I find out it was you two or someone else, I'll see that person expelled faster than they imagined." said the professor known as Professor Snape, he went on to say, "Come on Draco, let's get you sorted." And with that, he lead the boy to the stool and he would be Sorted, as he was being lead, Malfoy muttered that his father would be hearing about this.

It was several minutes before anything was heard, during that time there were whispers about what happened to Malfoy and who would do such a thing. Some even joked about what a small prick he had. After a few minutes, the first thing that they heard from the stool was not the Sorting Hat, but Malfoy, "How dare you think of putting me into _that _House, wait until my father hears of this!"

The Hat said out loud, "_He_ was right, you _are _a Daddy's Boy." Harry could see Draco's neck and chin - the only part of his face visible - turn pink as laughter filled the Great Hall. "No matter, you wouldn't last for long in that House with the way you act so it better be SLYTHERIN!" The hat announced with a put-upon sigh.

As Malfoy removed the Sorting Hat he gave Harry a glare, as if blaming him for what the Sorting Hat said. Granted it kind of was, but it was still worth it. Now everyone knew Malfoy was a Daddy's Boy.

There was a few more names before his name was called, he did find out that pig-face girl was called Pansy Parkinson.

"Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"_Potter, _did she say?"

"Is it really Harry Potter?"

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.

'_You know, it's not normal for an eleven year old to want to model themselves after beings of pure evil…' _Harry heard a voice in his head point out dryly.

'_Who's there? Who's in my head?'_ Harry demanded.

'_It is I, the Sorting Hat.' _The voice of the Sorting Hat said in Harry's head. _'Now, as I said, it's not normal to model one's self after beings of pure evil…'_

'_Well I'm not exactly normal.'_ Harry replied dryly. _'Besides, aren't children supposed to have role models?'_

'_True, look at that imaginary sister of yours. What normal person would create someone like her? And look at your Asylum, what normal children would create such a place. Although you are doing some good in a twisted way, giving protection and a roof to sleep under for those who want it. As for the role model, that's one way of looking at it, yes, but I think we're at an impasse here; you honestly see nothing wrong with it and I, according to the guidelines sewn into my very brim, am compelled to convince you otherwise.' _The Sorting Hat explained._ 'At this rate we'll be here all night and I don't think either of us wants that.'_

'_True, I hope you'll keep what you learn from my mind to yourself.' _Harry ceded. _'I'm sure your role model isn't a pile of ash.'_

'_I have spells placed on me that prevent me from telling anyone what I find in a person's mind.' _The Sorting Hat said calmly. '_Besides, I have a really pissed off bit of crazy in here kicking me in the metaphorical quad to get me out… I mean, you didn't hear that. Let's get on with this sorting, shall we?'_ The Hat's 'voice' grew strained, for no discernible reason to Harry.

The hat hmm'd and haw'd for a little while before it finally said, _'You could do well in all four houses: with how you pretend to be this Maverick, running your Underground Asylum and plans for it, should that you have the cunning, resourcefulness and the ambition to do well in the House of Snakes. But I dread what you would do to those who would attack you because of you being the Boy-Who-Lived._

'_Now, you have the brains for Ravenclaw, and wanting to learn more about magic and the House of Ravens will help you learn how to do wandless magic better. Although I am worried about how the Ravens would react should they learn that the knowledge was going to be used for darkness, although it wouldn't be for the first time someone being a Raven used the knowledge they gained there for darkness._

'_And you have the courage, pulling a prank on Albus proves that, no first year would do that. And you don't back down to anyone or anything. Although you wouldn't do anything unless it benefited you somehow, but when you decide to do something, unless you no longer see a benefit, you don't back down.'_

'_There a difference from being brave and foolishly brave,' _Harry admitted to the Sorting Out, _'I will not go out foolishly and find trouble if it means putting my life at risk, if I can I _will _run for it. I will only fight if I see it benefits me. But don't get me wrong, if one of my friends or allies are attacked, I wouldn't think of running. I'll do what I can to protect them.'_

'_I agree with you about not running in without thinking, just wished other Gryffindor's as they get old think the same.' _the Hat told him, _'But not running from trouble when your friends or allies need you, would do you well in Hufflepuff, and you're not afraid of hard work when it is needed. But the thing is you don't give out your respect, trust or loyalty freely, they have to work for it, but once they have it you'll honour it fully and help them where you can. But if they betray you, I dread what you might do to them.'_

'_Only fools would give their respect, trust and loyalty freely,' _Harry told the Sorting Hat, _'doing so without the other person earning it is foolish, as the other person could only be using you. So I see it that to stop people betraying be so easy, they first have to earn my respect, trust and loyalty. Whilst it won't stop betrayal all together, it weeds out most who would, as most wouldn't want to spend the amount of time it'll take to gain my trust and loyalty, only to betray it. So many in history have died because they give their trust and loyalty so freely. And should someone betray me, I can be honest and say I don't know what I do and hope not to find out.'_

'_For someone so young you are wiser than others of your age,' _the Hat told him, 'not many would think like that. And you are right, blind loyalty can get you killed, I just wished people realize this. Now where to put you, you fit well in all the Houses, but at the same time you do not. But by far, out of the four House, _I think you would fit best in Slytherin.'_ It finally decided.

Harry was quick to reject the idea; he disliked the thought of being in the same House that Voldemort was in, and having to put up with Malfoy, killing him would be exhausting. _'I'd light Malfoy on fire in self defense within a week. Slytherin and Hufflepuff are out, Slytherin people will always keep an eye on me, as Slytherins are considered Dark. Whilst Hufflepuff would be a good place for a true Slytherin, seeing that they are considered weak and duffers, it won't work for me. As I have a bad temper, and should someone piss me off too much, I might lose control and people will know how strong I am. And so, people will keep an eye on me because of that._

'_Ravenclaw might have been fine, as it would be the most useful of the four Houses, but Gryffindor would be the best. As not only would people suspect it because my family was in Gryffindor, but I might already have a friend and a possible friend in Gryffindor, just put me there.'_ Whilst Ron wasn't in Gryffindor yet, Harry felt that he had a good enough judge on Ron's character to say for certain that he was a shoo-in for the red and gold.

'_And am I to assume I would suffer an unfortunate fire related accident if I were to send you to Slytherin against your wishes?' _The hat asked, sounding both amused and resigned. It didn't even try and say that Ron wasn't a friend, but a tool to fool people, who knew what Harry might do if he did.

'_No comment.' _Harry replied, trying and failing to keep a smirk off his face.

'_Very well'_

'_In that case you crazy little pyromaniac,'_ the Hat grumbled, before saying out loud. "Better be GRYFFINDOR…"

_**TO BE CONTINUED!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the fourth part of the new saga of The Blood Stone Saga, I would like to thank you for reading it, and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. I would love to get any ideas and suggestions you might have. If you don't like the story… don't bother about leaving a hate review… it doesn't affect me or how I will be writing in the future, then I'm not interested. If you feel that there needs to be a little improvement then please point that out to me and any suggestions how to the story better. I'm also after ideas for what should happen in the first year, so I hope you'll help me out there.

Don't suspect another fast update, this was fast as it was already written, and I just had to edit it so it fits how the story is now. The next chapter will take some time, as it is a new one that I have to start to write from the start. So when you read next time on Overlord Vulcan, let me know any ideas you might have.

_**I'm also still looking for ideas for pranks, and I hope you can help with this as I'm wanting a few magical and non-magical ones. Please help me out here, as I'm after some ideas and would like to use some of them soon.**_

Seeing that so many are against the idea of the Confundus Charm, I would like ideas of how Harry's friends become Dark and join him. Any and all ideas are welcomed.

Those who like Melody, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about her, she'll still be in the story. Ember hasn't taken her place, in fact Ember is too shy to do what Melody will do. As long as nothing pops up, or I change my mind, Melody should still be Harry's first and the lemons will start in the second year.

I do have a request, I'm looking for first year fics, where Harry is Dark and is a Gryffindor (if possible,) if you know any that's NOT slash or Harry as a female, please let me know. As I would like to gain a few ideas as to what to do now he is sorted into Gryffindor.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story. And so you know, there's a poll on my fanfiction profile, that'll decide which story I should work on next, I hope you leave a review of you can't vote, and if you can, please do so.

_**Next time on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ In the next chapter, it'll be right after Harry being sorted into Gryffindor, like in the book. But we'll have Harry being called to see Harry being called to see Dumbledore, and we'll learn about Embers past. (If you got any ideas to add about her past I would like to hear them.)


	13. Chapter 11 - The Blood Stone - Part 5

_**Author's Note:**___Yes I admit that the last chapter was small and quick, but I wasn't sure how long this was going to be, and didn't want to make it too long. So I decided to do the first night at Hogwarts as another chapter. I hope you like it, and the ideas I've put into this chapter. Sorry for the delay in update, was planning to update soon, but I came down with a cold as I wrote this so other than dealing with finding the right words that I wanted for the story. I was trying to write with a cold. As many of you might know it's hard enough without the extra problems with writing.

_**Chapter Eleven… **_

_**The Blood Stone - Part 5!**_

_**(First Night at Hogwarts!)**_

_1st of September - Great Hall, Hogwarts:_

Harry heard the Hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the Sorting Hat and walked towards the Gryffindor table, as he passed Ember, he gave her a warm smile and mouthed to her, _'Good luck.'_ He noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet, and he smiled at this. Percy, the Prefect, got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling that he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.

He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry just smiled back, wanting to keep up the pretend of him liking the man. And there, in the centre of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognized him at once from the card he'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Something about the man put Harry on edge, as if there was something more to him than met the eye. He would have to watch himself around the man.

Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban. Harry still wondered what the man was doing teaching a class like defence, it would make it hard to learn anything, so Harry was also going to keep an eye on this man too. As something about him didn't add up, and Harry didn't like the unknown.

There were a few more people to go, Ember a while to sort, before she was Sorted into Gryffindor. Then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now, a second later the Sorting Hat declared, "Ah, another Weasley. I know what to do with you… GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry clapped with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," Percy Weasley said pompously across Harry, as the last child of the night, 'Zabini, Blaise,' was Sorted into Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away. All together there was about twenty to twenty-five students sorted into each house.

As Harry sat at the table, he looked down at his empty golden plate. He had only just now realized how hungry he was. Those pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he - a bit mad?" Ember asked Percy uncertainly.

"Mad?" Percy said airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Ember, Harry?"

Ember's mouth fell open, she hadn't seen this much food before. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.

Harry and Ember piled their plates with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all so delicious.

"That does look good," the ghost in the ruff said sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.

"Can't you -?" Ember began to ask the ghost.

"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" asked one of the new students, a Patrick Woodis.

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"Like this." he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed.

"Is there anyway to get it fully removed?" Harry asked his House Ghost, "As it looks disgusting. Maybe you could ask the ghost of at the Slytherin table to cut it off?" Harry asked Nick as he pointed the the ghost over at the Slytherins, he had black eyes and a gaunt face, he dressed in robes covered in silver bloodstains, and carried chains around his body. He also had a curly powdered wig and carried his sword. He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements. "Couldn't he be able to cut the remainder of your neck, seeing that you're both ghosts? What's the worse could happen? You can't die twice can you."

The Gryffindor Ghost looked at the young new Gryffindor, "Could it be that easy, all these years and I never thought of that." the ghost muttered to himself, in shock and disbelief, then turning to Harry he said, "I thank you young Gryffindor, you have given me hope for the first time since my death and for that, I can't thank you enough. If there's anything I can do to help please let me know. Anyway, I hope you and the other new Gryffindors are going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost. Now talking about the Baron, I need to have a word with him, I'll see you lot."

"Wait! I want to ask you something Nick." A young boy named Seamus said, but it was too late, Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington had left to talk to the Slytherin Ghost, "Damn, I wanted to as if he knew how the Slytherin ghost got covered in that blood."

"He doesn't know, nobody does really," this came from Percy, "I once wondered that and I asked him about it and he told me that he doesn't know. I even asked the Bloody Baron himself as I was that interested as none of the other ghosts had blood on them, but he gave me a dark look and floated away without a word. I tried to ask a few times, but got the same response over and over again, so I tell you lot now. Don't bother. You won't get anywhere."

"Ok." Seamus sighed as he put some more roast beef onto his plate, "but what got into him though, it was like he got an answer that he wasn't suspecting."

"Maybe because he did," explained one of the older students, a Patricia Stimpson, "all these years he was belittled by other headless ghosts because his head wasn't fully off. All the years he thought he could never be a full headless ghost, but Potter give him a hope that he never had before and no one thought of it before."

"I have to agree with Miss Stimpson, no one had thought of it before, it is something worth of a Ravenclaw." Percy admitted to the first years. "Whilst I can say that the Gryffindors are happy to see you in our House, I have to wonder why you're not in Ravenclaw."

"It was nothing really," Harry admitted thoughtfully, "I knew that normal weapons couldn't harm a ghost, and I thought maybe a ghost weapon might. And seeing that he was already dead, well what is the harm in trying? As for not being a Ravenclaw, to be honest the Sorting Hat believed that I could go in any of the four Houses."

"Even Slytherin?" Ron asked in shock and horror.

"Yes. Even Slytherin," Harry said with a sigh, "I know they have a bad rep and everything, but are you telling me that all the eleven year olds that enter Slytherin are evil? It just means that they are cunning, ambitious, and resourceful, something those who want to get on in the world should have. What makes them evil is whatever happens to them over the years, and how they are treated over the years."

"That's another statement the Ravenclaws often make, and I think why Slytherins don't mind them as much, unlike the rest of us." Stimpson told Harry and the others, "I have to wonder why you aren't in Ravenclaw."

"Same reason that I'm not in the other Houses, I asked to be in Gryffindor," Harry admitted to them all, "this is the House my parents were in and I want to follow their footsteps and make them proud of me wherever they are."

This got thoughtful looks on everyone's faces, and made them smile, glad that the Boy-Who-Lived chose Gryffindor. Harry smiled, and was happy that they bought his bull of a story, and he hoped that the lie about him wanting to follow his parents footsteps and make them proud would get to the Headmaster. As he hoped he wouldn't have much of a problem with him this way.

After this, they talked among themselves, some talked about who played the prank on Dumbledore and Malfoy, some still blaming the Weasley Twins, whilst some don't think it was possible. Some talked about how surprising it was to learn that magic was real.

Harry though was shocked at how many new students had magic. And this, explained by a sixth year student, was down to the Mystics. Harry was informed that before the Mystics came along, there was normally around thirteen to fifteen new students going into each of the House each year. But with the Mystics changing how things worked, and those who they were saved during the Wizarding Civil War with Voldemort, there was around twenty-five or so new students going into each of the House each year.

Here came a decision about them, most of them were fine with the Mystics, some even admitted that they were Mystics. Harry overheard that the Weasley Twins and a few others were grateful for the Mystics, as they saved the lives of their favourite uncles: Gideon and Fabian Prewett, who like them were pranksters. They even saved a few Weasleys too in the war. It seemed that this story was true for a few of the students around the table.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding and many other desserts.

As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk at his side of the table turned to their families.

"I'm what the Wizarding World calls a Half-Blood," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

The others laughed at this, it was true for a few of them there.

"What about you, Neville?" said Ember.

"I'm what is called a Pureblood," Neville explained to the young girl, "I was brought up with magic, learning a few things over the years."

"So you know some magic then?" asked Ember with interest, "That must be good learning some magic before Hogwarts."

"Normally you would be right, seeing how most families would have their children wait to learn magic once they get to Hogwarts." Neville told Ember, "But I learnt how to use magic, as for some reason my family was targeted by Death Eaters after the war. I would have liked to have a normal childhood -"

Harry tuned out the rest of the conversation, and listened to the others talking. On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing - ").

Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.

"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.

"What is it Harry?" asked Percy.

"N-Nothing." Harry told the Gryffindor Prefect, as he wasn't sure what happened himself. The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look - a feeling that he didn't like at all.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy.

"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."

Harry watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at him again.

"Hmm…" Harry hummed at this, the look that Snape give him was one of hate and loathing, and wondered what a man that Harry never met had against him. So now he knew who Snape was, he wondered who the other people at the Head Table were, and what they do and asked, "So who are the others at the Head Table and what do they teach?"

"Well Harry," Percy said with a smile, he was in his element now, "Well starting from the front of our table, that's Rubeus Hagrid the Groundskeeper. Next to him as you know is Professor McGonagall, she's not only does she teaches Transfiguration, but she is also the Head of Gryffindor and the Deputy Headmistress. She normally sits next to the Headmaster, during the feasts, except during the Sorting Feast and the End of Term Feast, when she would sit in front of her House Table.

"Now next to her and in front of the Hufflepuff Table is Professor Sprout." Sprout was a dumpy little witch with flyaway grey hair who wore a patched, frayed hat and shabby robes, and was covered in dirt. "She is the Head of Hufflepuff, and teaches Herbology, which is why you'll often see her in dirt.

"Next to her is Professor Sinistra," Sinistra looked like she was in her mid twenties with dark hair, eyes, and skin. She had a slightly circular face with cheekbones and a prominent, sharp nose, "and she teaches Astronomy. But we don't often see her in the Great Hall, normally during the Feasts. In fact she is one of the few non-Heads that you'll see during the Feasts. The others just come to the Great Hall during the normal meals, and that does not happen normally. Next to her is Dumbledore which, as you already know, is the Headmaster.

"Then next to the Headmaster is Professor Flitwick," Flitwick was a very short, dwarf-like person, with white hair and beard. "and he teaches Charms and is the Head of Ravenclaw. He is one of the few Professors who you can easily go to for anything. And he, if he can, is willing to help you.

"The last two you know about," Percy explained to Harry, "but Snape is also the Head of Slytherin. And someone you don't want to cross, whilst I don't normally talk against the Professors, if you're not a Slytherin, don't even bother going to him with problems as he won't help you."

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"Seeing that tomorrow will be a Friday, it was decided that there'll be no classes tomorrow, and that class will start on Monday.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held at the start of the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.

"He's not serious. Is he?" he muttered to Percy.

"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd though, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest for example is full of dangerous beasts, everyone who's been here for a few weeks knows that. I would have thought he would have told us prefects, at least."

There were a few whispers at this, and Harry said, "Something isn't right, it is like he wants us to go to the third-floor corridor."

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione, and Percy looked at Harry with interest, wanting to hear Harry's reason too.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore before Harry could say anything. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. And most of the older students even moaned at this, it seemed this was most people's less favourite part of the evening.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favourite tune," Dumbledore said, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:

_"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot."_

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

As the Gryffindor first years were about to follow Percy, when the Head of Gryffindor, Professor McGonagall, came up to them and said to Harry, "Mr. Potter, could you come with me please. Professor Dumbledore wants to see you in his office."

"With all due respect mama, but can't this wait 'til morning?" asked Harry, "It has been a long day for everyone, and I for one would like to get some rest."

"I understand and after what you been through, I understand why you want to get some rest but the Headmaster wants to see you now." McGonagall stated with a sigh, "There's nothing I can do about this."

Harry give a sigh and then turned to Ember and asked, "Ember, could you be a dear and do me a favour? Could you look after Aneira for me?"

The Tigran in question, for the most part of the evening was laying at Harry's feet, only moving when Harry fed her some of his food, and was purring as Harry was rubbing her belly. But hearing that she was going to be parted, and the bond wasn't fully complete, hissed in disagreement of leaving her Master.

Before Ember could answer, Harry said to his Tigran, "I know you don't like this Aneira, but I want you to look after Ember for me. I won't be long, the sooner I go the sooner I can get back to you. So will you go with her if she agrees to have you?" The Tigran wasn't happy about this, but she knew that her Master had plans for this girl, or was forming plans for the girl, and he would want her to protect her until he could work out said plans. Unhappily she nodded her head in agreement to look after Ember.

"So would you mind Ember?" asked Harry.

"Sure Harry, I'll look after her." Ember said with a smile, knowing that she was being useful to her new friend. And opened her arms as Harry handed over Aneira to her. And with that the first year Gryffindor's who lead by Percy, out of the Great Hall.

"Please lead the way Professor McGonagall," Harry said with a warm smile, "the sooner we can get this over with, the sooner I can get back to my friends."

"Of Course Mr. Potter, I fully understand." McGonagall said, as she lead Harry to the Headmaster's Office.

_**o0OoO0o**_

Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed. Nothing was said as teacher and student walked up to the second-floor of Hogwarts, until they walked around the corner from the second-floor corridor. The corridor was long, with nothing but windows on the right side of him, and at the very end was a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle..

"Professor do you know what this is about?" Harry asked his Head of House.

"Sorry Mr. Potter, but I don't," admitted McGonagall, as they stopped in front of the Gargoyle, "I was only told to get you."

"Mars Bar!" she said. This was evidently a password, because the gargoyle sprang suddenly to life and hopped aside as the wall behind him split in two. Behind the wall was a spiral staircase that was moving smoothly upward, like an escalator. As he and Professor McGonagall stepped onto it, Harry heard the wall thud closed behind them. They rose upward in circles, higher and higher, until at last, slightly dizzy, Harry saw a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.

They stepped off the stone staircase at the top, and Professor McGonagall rapped on the door. And they heard someone say, "Come in Minerva, Harry."

Before entering Harry asked, "How does he know it is us?"

"I have no idea, and often wondered about." McGonagall admitted as the two walked into the office.

If he wasn't so tired, Harry would have loved to have the chance to look around more. It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat - the Sorting Hat.

This was when he heard Dumbledore say, "Thank you Minerva, you may go."

Harry looked around and saw that Dumbledore was sitting in his chair, with Professor Snape standing next to him.

Professor McGonagall was about to when Harry said, "Professor McGonagall please wait, you're my Head of House, and from my readings, I have the right to ask you to be at any meeting with the Headmaster or any other Professors. Be it for advise or as a witness, or whatever help I might need. So I would like you to stay here please."

"Err… Mr. Potter, what are you talking about?" Professor McGonagall asked in confusion, "I haven't heard about such a thing before."

"Not in the latest rule books for Hogwarts, no, you wouldn't but in some of the older versions there is such rules, which is still in effect." explained Harry, "These rules about the Head of House was made by the Founders, and these cannot be altered or removed, as they protect the students rights. Just in case there was a problem between a Professor and student, the Head of House would be there to help the student should they need it."

"And why would you need to read the rule books for?" sneered Snape, "Just like your father, I bet you're planning to make trouble just like your father. Why else would you get so many books or the rules, no child would do such a thing."

"My father has been dead since before I was two sir, and have been brought up by my aunt and uncle all these years, and so I don't know what my father was like." Harry explained to the Potion Professor, "As they never talked about my parents, as they hated them. I don't know what your problem is with my father, but whatever he had done to you in the past, please don't take it out on me, as I'm not my father and you have no right to lay any blame for what he did to you on me."

"You're quite right Mr. Potter, but Professor Snape has a point. Why did you read so many rule books, if you're not going to create trouble." Professor McGonagall told Harry.

"I'm not going to confirm or deny I'm going to create problems, as I don't think you would believe me either way," Harry started to explain, "but I read them to protect myself. The people I know stated that I should read as many rule books for Hogwarts as I can, so that should I get myself into trouble, or someone is trying to blame me for something I haven't done, I would have some way to protect myself. Either way, it is late and after the day I have had, I would like to get to the point of why I'm here tonight, instead of with the other first year Gryffindors relaxing before going to bed."

Albus Dumbledore was not a happy Headmaster right now, he had thought that he and the other past Headmasters had gotten rid of all the old rule books. Some of the rules were removed because they made no sense now days, but the main reason was that they wanted an easier way to control the students when needed, for Harry to know the rules that he didn't want him to know, it made things more difficult. _(__**Author's Note:**____Would like some ideas for school rules that could be altered by the Headmasters, so they could control the student and teacher body - but Harry could use.)_

With Harry knowing the school rules the way he did, Albus knew he would have to move carefully now. For now though, he would have to keep on the subject and so he said, "Well Harry, it has came to our notice that your pet, a Tigran, was going to attack someone on a train if they hadn't left your compartment."

"Oh so Malfoy came to you when he couldn't bully me." Harry said with a sigh.

"How dare you lie Potter," sneered Snape, "Malfoy told us that you threatened him."

"Where is your proof that I did such a thing?" asked Harry, "If you must know he was the one that threatened me, by saying that I would end up the same way as my parents if I wasn't careful with who I hang around with. And when I told him he was acting like a Gryffindor instead of a Slytherin, he pulled out his wand at me and my new friends. So as my familiar, Aneira has the right to protect me if she thinks I'm threatened."

"Don't lie Potter," Snape said with a sneer, "Malfoy would not do such a thing, and you're not old enough to have a familiar."

"I understand that you might not believe that I have a familiar, but Professor McGonagall cast a spell before the Sorting, that confirmed that she was my familiar." Harry explained to the Potion Master, in which McGonagall confirmed this, "And as for me lying about what happened on the train, I'm willing to swear on my magic and give you the memory of what really happened."

This shocked the Professors, as Harry knew about swearing on his magic, and giving a memory of what happened on the train. Whilst McGonagall was glad that he knew a way to get out of trouble that the young Malfoy was trying to get him into. It would seem that young Potter was smarter than most Gryffindor's, as they would take the blame if needed and make Malfoy pay later. But Harry was defending himself, using reason and willing to back it up with magic.

But both Snape and Dumbledore were unhappy about this, as they wanted a way to put Harry under their thumbs, making him more controllable. This wasn't what they wanted, Harry being independent, powerful and smart enough to think for himself.

"So do I have to give you my oath and memory?" Harry asked as he hid a smirk.

"No, no, I think we can put this all down to a misunderstanding Harry, I think we can forget about all this." Dumbledore quickly backtracked, knowing he lost this round. "Minerva, why don't you take young Harry to the Gryffindor Tower. After all, it is getting late." Not only that but he needed to think of a way to get to Harry within the school rules.

"Of course, Headmaster." Minerva said, as she hid her own smile as she led Harry out of the room, as Snape and Dumbledore talked. It was nice to see the Headmaster not getting his way. Don't get her wrong, she considered Albus a friend, but as of late he was getting too big for his britches, as he believed he could do whatever he wanted to, as no one would tell him no. As much as she hated to admit, she was one of those who often gave him his own way. It was nice to see someone not doing so, but it was a shame it had to be a student who did so.

As they walked up to the seventh floor where the Gryffindor Tower was, Professor McGonagall said, "Whilst I applaud you for standing up for yourself, I ask you to be careful in the future. Whilst I didn't say anything back in the office, as you were in the right at that time, should you act such a way in the future again, I'll be forced to take action."

"With all due respect Professor, if you had taken action and defended me like you should have done, I would not have needed to." Harry explained respectfully, "Forgetting that you didn't know about the rules, you were going to leave me with two men who one seems to hate me for something, if I'm right, my father did to him years ago. And another man who seems to want to control me for some reason. What kind of person does that make you?"

"Now see here, Mr. Potter…" McGonagall began. But Harry interrupted her and said, "No you see here Professor, forgetting that you're my Head of House for the moment, you are Deputy Headmistress and you are meant to protect the school not only from students and professors, but also from the Headmaster's too. All you knew, I knew nothing about the rules or how things meant to run in Hogwarts and you were going to leave me to defend for myself. One would have to ask what kind of Deputy Headmistress that makes you, some might have to question your actions so far about Snape if half of the rumours about him are true. If they are, he shouldn't be even teaching students. Along with the History of Magic Professor, I have nothing against ghosts, mainly because I never met one before, but if he sends most people to sleep and keep on in the Goblin Wars, I don't understand why you haven't had him removed.

"I mean no disrespect to you or any of the professors, but you need to understand something. I've been forced to grow up and mature much sooner than others of my age, and so act in ways that someone my age shouldn't. For years I've had to stand up for myself, and be strong and rely on myself as I couldn't rely on any adults or anyone of my age. I can count on one hand and still have fingers to spare to how many people I respect and trust.

"Because of this, my attitude is blunt most of the time and often gets me into trouble. I'm willing to take my punishment for it, but I'm not backing down when I believe I am right, or if someone treats me unfairly. It would only make me look like I'm weak and easy to control. As long as I'm treated fairly and respectfully, I do the same to others. I don't go out and be blunt, I give people a chance, but if they go too far, then I'll have words with them - even if I get punished for it too. It is the way I lived for so long and I won't change for anyone."

McGonagall had no idea what to say to this, no student, more or less a first year had spoken to her like this before. But the thing was, Potter was right. She _was _the Deputy Headmistress, and it was her job to protect the students. And she was going to leave the new first year with two men she knew would try something with Harry Potter, not in a perverted way, but to try and gain control over him.

Not only was it her job to protect the students, but to make sure that the classes were up to standards too, which Potions and History of Magic weren't. But like always though, she had allowed herself, like many others, to be swayed by the Headmaster, who said it would be fine and she would believe it. Even though she knew that the teachers were two of the three worst teachers there.

She was sure what to do about Potter, on one hand she should punish him for the way he had talked to her, and he should learn that he couldn't get away with such things. But on the other hand he was a strong independent person, whilst she never meet someone like this, this young. But she knew the type, and knew that punishment wouldn't bother him that much. He was the type that would do whatever he thought was right, and would act in a way that would show he wasn't to be messed with. People would say and do things to point out what they suspect would happen and such.

She had to sigh at this, she knew the reason for Harry being like this. The bloody Dursleys. She knew that they were an awful family, but whatever happened with them, made the young boy grow faster than he should have. And act in a way that most adults do. But she knew that she was part of the reason for this, as if she just fought Dumbledore and kept Harry away from the Dursleys, he might not be like this. But she knew she couldn't say anything, as she didn't know how Harry would react to these news.

They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Harry was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as McGonagall yelled out, "Peeves - show yourself" And with a whisper to Harry she said, "He's a poltergeist."

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered, as the sticks flew to one side.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron or the Headmaster?" McGonagall called out.

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Another ickle firstie! What fun!"

"Peeves behave or I'll call the Bloody Baron or the Headmaster if you don't leave." the Deputy Headmistress told the poltergeist.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished. The two of them heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," Harry's Head of House warned, "the only two who can control him is the Headmaster and the Bloody Baron, he won't even listen to the teachers or the prefects. He only wants to cause chaos within the school."

Without another word, the two carried on walking, and before long they got to the end of a corridor where a huge portrait hung, the portrait was of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said.

"One moment Dawn." Gryffindor's Head of House told the portrait, then turning to Harry she said, "Mr. Potter whilst I may not agree with how you acted this evening, I can partly understand where you're coming from. But be warned should you keep acting like this, I will have to intervene."

"You have my word. I'll behave and give respect to the teachers, I've come here so that I _can _be a child instead of some grown up that I was forced to be." Harry explained to his Head of House, "But should I be pushed too far, or if I think that something isn't right, like my life is at risk, I _will _act. And should I get caught or earn the rightful punishment, I'll take it."

"That's fair enough…" McGonagall sighed, knowing this is the best that she could get from him, "One last thing before you go, about the magical vow you were going to use to prove your innocence."

"I shouldn't have done it," Harry said with a small smirk, "I know, I have been warned about the dangers of doing such a thing. The truth was it was in parts a bluff, if I could help it, I wasn't going to do it unless they forced me to. But the problem was that it looked like they were trying to get some sort of control over me, by blaming for something I didn't do and punishing me for it. All to try and get some sort control over me. So I used the vow and the permission for them to see my memory to get me out of trouble, I even challenged them to get Malfoy and have him do the same. And well, you saw the outcome of that."

McGonagall wasn't sure if Potter was in the right House, sure it took bravery to pull a plan of that caliber of, but it took cunning and smarts too. Potter could do well in either Slytherin or Ravenclaw. Either way, she was glad he was in her House, and with a sigh she said, "Anyway, to enter the Gryffindor Tower, you need to give Dawn a password that changes every so often. The password for now is Caput Draconis…" as she said this, the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. "I'll see you later Mr. Potter."

"Thank you Professor McGonagall, I'll see you in class." Harry said, as he walked through the hole, he found himself in the Gryffindor common room. The room itself was a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs and sofas, with tables around the room, and portraits on the walls and two bookshelves next to a warm fire.

It was empty other than a few students, who were relaxing before going to bed. One of these students was Percy Weasley, when he saw Harry said, "Ah Harry, I hope you're okay. So what did the Headmaster want from you?"

"Oh he wanted to talk to me about something that happened on the train, but it has been sorted now." Harry explained to the Prefect, "So where is Ember and Aneira?"

"Ember went to bed, and she took Aneira and her fox Vixen with her." Percy told Harry.

"Ah that's fine, I'll get Aneira in the morning, for now I would like to go wherever my room is." Harry said.

"Sure Harry, follow me." Percy told Harry, as he lead him to one of doors in the common room. The door lead to two staircases, one going up and one going down. Here Percy said, "Okay Harry, the stairs going down will lead you to where the first year dorms are for this year."

"What do you mean for this year?" Harry asked in interest.

"You see the dorm will be yours for the next seven years," the Prefect explained to the young Gryffindor, "and next year the dorm that was the seventh year will be the first year dorms"

"Oh I see, that makes sense," Harry said, "so is there anything I should know about the dorms?"

And here Percy explained about the dorms, telling Harry that the dorms had a small seating area for the students to relax in peace, before needing to go to bed for the night. It was where the students could go to do their homework instead in the common room, so that they wouldn't be disturbed. Then there was the bedrooms, there was between two to four people in each room, depending how many were sorted that year and who wants to share with who. So seeing that there is ten boys Sorted into Gryffindor this year, they would be at least two rooms with four people to a room and one room for two people.

Once Harry was told where to go, he went down the stairs to the first year dormitories were, where he found Ron playing chess with another redhead in the seating room - which was a smaller version of the common room upstairs. He had square styleless glasses, and if Harry remembered rightly, was name Antony Booth. Upon seeing Harry, Ron called out, "Harry over here."

"Hey Ron, Antony if I remember rightly." Harry greeted the two of them.

"Yes, but please call me Tony, everyone does," Tony said with a smile, "it is nice to meet you too. I would like to thank you for what you did earlier, you may not know it, but you saved my parent's life at Merlin's Station."

"It wasn't a problem Tony, I just did what was right," Harry half-lied, "but can you tell me who I'm sharing the room with and where the room is?"

"Oh you'll be sharing with us two and Neville Longbottom, and the room is over there." explained Tony, as he pointed over to a door.

"Thanks Tony," Harry said with a smile, "I'll see you later, just need to make a Lacrima call and I'll be going to sleep."

"Ok mate, we'll see you in the morning if you're asleep when we finished playing here." said Ron, as Harry went to their room as they bid each other goodnight.

_**o0OoO0o**_

For the next half an hour, Harry made his Communications Lacrima call with Charlotte and Blink, talking about how things were back home and about the attack at Merlin's Station - nothing important that could be overheard. When they were finishing off their chat, Charlotte asked, "Is there anything else you need from us Harry?"

"Hmm, actually there is one more thing I do need," Harry said thoughtfully, "I want you to ask Bowser if he could dig up information about a professor here, his name is Severus Snape. I don't know why, but he seems to hate me for some strange reason, because of something my father did to him in the past. But I feel there's something more going on here, it could be he is pitty little bastard who can't get over whatever my father did to him, and so decided to take out his hate on me instead of letting it die with my father. But, it could be more to it, and so I would like Bowser to find out what he can about Snape."

"Of course Harry, I'll -" Charlotte began, when the three of them heard a loud bang somewhere near Harry, making Charlotte ask, "Harry? what was that?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out… just be ready should I call for backup, you two, Bowser and Syrio." Harry warned his friends as he closed the Lacrima, and ran out of his room, not seeing that Neville was awake too.

As he got out of his room, he saw smoke coming from upstairs, and so ran run into the common room, where he saw smoke coming from the girls staircases, and girls running up and down them as there was a loud sound that Harry suspected was the fire alarm. He saw people running out of the common room.

Upon seeing Hermione running down the staircase with Aneira and Vixen, Harry asked, "Hermione what's going on."

"It's Ember, something is going on with her." Hermione explained to Harry, "She was screaming from what I suspect was a nightmare, and the the gravity began playing up, and things began to explode."

Harry suspected that his new friend's power was to do with gravity, and if trained could be a useful to Harry in the future. But it would be for nothing should she die now, so picking up Aneira, he ran to the girls staircase when he heard Hermione shout out, "Harry! You can't go up to the girls staircase."

Hearing this, Harry visioned the top of the stairs and made a Jump, shocking those who were still there. Running where the smoke was coming from, he heard footsteps behind him, but he didn't take much notice of this right now. He had to help Ember first. Upon getting closer to the smoke, Harry had Aneira to put out any flames that they came across. But as soon as they got to where the smoke was, the gravity around the door was heavy that it was hard to stand up, so they had to stand at the edge of it all. Looking around the room the gravity was going crazy, and because of this it took Aneira a while to put out the fires within the room.

As she was doing this, Hermione and a few of the girls there came up behind him, and Hermione asked in shock, "Harry, how were you able to come within the girl's dormitory? You aren't supposed to be able to do that."

"I'll tell you later, for now we need to help Ember." Harry stated to the new female Gryffindor.

As he did this, and Aneira putting out the fires, they heard Ember shout out, "Please father, mother, I'm sorry I didn't mean to kill you… Adam, my brother it's not like that, I'm sorry…" and so many other things. It came to those that were there, that she blamed herself for the death of her family.

"It looks like she is having a nightmare about her parents death." Hermione said.

"But why is this happening?" asked one of the girls, behind them.

"Because of her magic is playing up," explained Harry, "it happened to me before. When I get real upset, and have nightmares, if I had a stressful day, my magic sometimes went haywire during a nightmare. And after what happened this morning, and starting a new day, it could be that it was too much for her."

"But if that's the case, how can we help her?" asked Hermione, "We need to do something before her magic gets out of hand."

"I don't know…" Harry admitted sadly, then a thought hit him, and pulled out his Communications Lacrima as he said, "Unless… Blink this is Harry, I need your help."

"Harry, what's wrong what was -" began Blink until she saw the girls behind her friend and master, "Who are the girls behind you?"

"There is no time to explain, how is your Telepathic powers coming along?" Harry asked urgently.

"Going slowly, I can only hear/see the thoughts if they are on the surface and they are strong thoughts." Blink explained to her friend.

"So could you read a person's mind who's having a nightmare?" asked Harry.

"I think so why?" Blink asked with interest.

"I need you to open a portal where I am, as we have a problem." Harry explained to his friend, "I have a new friend who's powers is out of control, and becoming a danger to herself and if something isn't done soon could be a danger for the school. I need to waken her, and I need your help."

Blink was in shock, she knew for a while now and knew he wouldn't do this for just anybody, and so had to wonder why this girl was important to Harry. But she knew better than to ask him with so many people around, and so she said, "I'll be there in a second Harry."

Before anyone could say anything a purple portal opened up next to Harry, and the girls saw a purple skinned girl walking out of the portal. Just as she appeared, Harry heard from behind them, "What is going on here? How did you get up here Mr. Potter, and who is this girl?"

"Sorry Professor, haven't got time to explain, as Ember and maybe the school might be in danger." explained Harry.

But before anything could be said, the gravity from Ember's room moved outwards, forcing the people in the doorway to move backwards. "Professor, Ember is a Mystic that uses gravity, and if we leave her be, she could destroy half the tower before she wakes, maybe a part of the castle." Harry explained to his Head of House, "So would you like to call the Mystic Knights, in doing risking her powers getting more out of control and doing more damage as we wait, or would you like me to try and help her?"

Minerva McGonagall was in two minds, on one hand she didn't want to put any of her cubs into danger, it was the job of the adults to look after the kids. But at the same time Potter was right, if they waited, the young girl could become worse and should they wait, young Ember could become a danger not only to herself but to the castle too.

"Do you think you can stop this?" McGonagall asked her young cub, his answer decide what she would do next.

"Whilst this is a quick plan, I do have an idea that _might _work, but we have to work fast though." Harry explained to McGonagall, "And I'll need Blink's help, which is why she is here for."

"Against my better judgement. Fine you two can try and help her, but the rest of the girls need to go." explained McGonagall.

"I don't like the idea but I think they should stay." Harry began to say with a sigh, and quickly went on to say as his Head of House about to say something, "I know it is dangerous and if things get out of hand they should leave, but they might be able to help out here. If I can wake her up and Ember sees that people are in danger because of her, she might stop her powers by herself. But if I can't they can leave and I'll knock her out, but I would prefer it if she stops her powers herself, as I don't know what would happen if I try and knock her out. All I know is that if I try and knock her out, her magic would react and make things worse, thinking that I'm trying to harm her."

As much as Minerva hated the thought of risking her cub's lives, she could see where Harry was coming from though. She had heard of stories like this if people tried to attack the sleeping person, Magic User's would try and defend their master and so making things a lot worse than needed to be. The best way was for Ember to stop her own attacks by herself. With a defeated sigh she admitted defeat, "Fine, but the moment things get out of hand all of us leave and I'll call the Mystic Knights to deal with this."

"That's fine, Blink can even help you to get to them faster should things go bad." Harry told his Head of House, then turning to his friend he said, "Ok Blink, time to see if you can get into Ember's mind from here."

Blink didn't say anything, instead she walked as close as she could until the gravity started to affect her, before she used her powers. At first she wasn't able to do so, but with some encouragement and tips from from Harry, she was able to get into Ember's mind. She saw her as a five year old, and her family home was broken into and out of fear her powers went out of control and killed everyone apart for herself. Than each of her family blamed her for their death.

Pulling herself from Ember's mind, she told Harry what happened, and after a few seconds thought he said, "Blink, can you picture the father clearly?"

"I think so why?" asked Blink.

"I want you to get a clear picture of him and his voice, and whatever you could get from Ember about him, and push it into my mind." Harry explained to his friend.

"But Harry, I never done that before." Blink told her friend.

"I know you can do it," Harry told his friend, "just do what you do to read minds, but instead of trying to get info out of the minds, just think of pushing the information into mine. I know you can do it, just believe in yourself. Just remember my belief is about doing magic, if you can imagine and believe you can do it, and if you try hard enough you can do anything with training as long as it isn't dangerous."

Blink sighed and took a breath, she knew that her friend and boss was right, the big part of a Mystic was imagination and believing you can do it as long it wasn't dangerous. So taking another breath, she brought up everything she could about Ember's father, and tried to push it into Harry's mind. It took a few tries, but after the sixth attempt she was able to push the information into her friend's mind.

Once Harry got the information he needed, Harry turned to the girls and his professor and said, "Whatever happens next do not say anything until either it gets too dangerous or this is all over."

"What are you going to do Mr. Potter? You never said what you're planning." The Head of Gryffindor asked Harry.

"Oh I'm going to do this!" was all Harry said has he transformed into Ember's father, who was six foot tall, with blonde hair, brown like eyes and a beard. When Harry next talked, his voice was deep and more adult like, "Remember whatever happens don't say anything, especially my name, unless I signal you to do so, or things could go much worse a lot faster then any of you wanted."

The girls were a bit shocked at what Harry did, but Minerva had a rough idea as to what Harry was planning to do: awake Ember up as her father, and slowly calming her down telling her things that she needed to hear. She was shocked that Harry had powers like a Metamorphmagus, but unlike a Metamorphmagus who needed to keep within their own size and weight by a few inches and pound, it would seem Harry was able to become a few feet. McGonagall had to wonder what else Harry was able to do with this skill.

Before she could think more about this, she saw Harry up at the door and he shouted out, "Ember, my little flame, wake up dear, it's me your father, your fireman, I need you to wake up."

It took a few tries calling out to Ember before she woke up, and upon seeing her father, she said, "Daddy is that you but how? You meant to be dead, I killed you."

"My little flame, your mother, brother, sister and I don't blame you dear," Harry told Ember softly as he walked close to her as he felt the gravity around him become normal, "we know it was an accident and we don't blame you dear. Our house was broken into and you were afraid, and your magic acted to protect you."

"B-But I killed you all." Ember sobbed into her 'father's shoulder.

"You're not to blame for our deaths, you had no control at the time," Harry informed Ember, holding her her as she sobbed, "but now you have control of your magic and stop it. In doing you can save lives here."

"What do you mean daddy?" Ember asked her 'father.'

"Look around you Ember," Harry said as he waved his hand over the room, showing Ember the damage she was causing, "you might not been able to do stop what happened all those years ago, but you can do something now."

When Ember looked round, she was shocked to see the damage that she had caused with her power going out of control, and in the doorway were a few of the girls within the Gryffindor Tower, with Professor McGonagall standing there. They were looking at her in shock, fear and awe. More tears came down Ember's face as she saw this, this wasn't what she wanted. She wanted a new start, one where she could start anew and forget about the past, to make friends and find somewhere she could belong.

At an early age Ember and her family knew that she had powers, thanks to a family friend who was a Mystic who explained the strange going ons around Ember. But seeing that Ember was still young, they decided they would give her comics and watch TV to decide what powers she would like to learn. The family started Ember off with X-Men Comics and a comic they enjoy called, Samurai Deeper Kyo. After some reading Ember got interested in the power of gravity, whilst it wasn't the most powerful of attacks out there, it would, once she learnt some control, the chance to stop people movingso she could make a run for it should she need to. She didn't want to learn to fight, or anything like that, she only wanted to learn enough to defend herself and her family.

But a few months after her sixth birthday though, Ember's home was broken into at dead of night whilst everyone was asleep. Ember never found out who broke into her family home or why, but the night would forever be engraved into her mind, as it was the night her parents and her brother and sister were killed. When whoever the person broke into her home done so, she had just woken up from a nightmare as it was. When she heard movement and sound out of her room, her powers overreacted and took on a life of its own and accidentally destroying the home, and killing those within the house other than Ember herself.

Because she blamed herself for her family's death, she ran away from her life and for the next few years lived away from people in the fear she would hurt them. During that time she lived in many woods, in one of the woods she found a baby fox, which Ember found among the dead bodies of it's family. She named the cub Vixen. Over the years Ember and Vixen travelled the lands, stealing food when begging wouldn't work. It was thanks to Vixen that Ember kept somewhat sane and managed to control her powers. Other than learning to control gravity, Ember learned about clairvoyance, the ability to find anything or anyone she wanted, she got the idea after seeing Molly Walker from the show Heroes.

Ember eventually came back into society, when a small man by the name of Professor Filius Flitwick found her. He himself was on holiday when he found her, as she was practicing her gravity powers. Seeing her doing magic, the Professor informed her about the magical world and Hogwarts, and invited her to Hogwarts saying it would be a new start and learning to control her powers. Seeing that this was what she wanted, Ember agreed to come to Hogwarts.

But as Ember looked around now, she saw her powers were going out of control once again, not as bad as before, but she knew if she didn't do anything now it could get worse. She then heard her 'father' say to her, "Listen I know you had a hard day, and every right to lose of control, but now you need to regain your powers before anymore damage is done."

"Yes daddy, you're right." sobbed Ember, knowing that her 'father' was right.

"Listen dear, know that you have friends now and don't have to be afraid anymore." Harry said as he felt the gravity returning to normal, than casting a sleeping spell on Ember, he whispered to her as he cast a small Confundus Charm to make her trust what he was about to say , "Sleep well my dear, know that our deaths weren't your fault. You were young and unable to control your powers. If you need help in controlling your powers and get stronger, talk to your new friend Harry Potter, he'll help you with that. He'll help you and protect you as long as you are of use to him."

That was as far as he got to say as Ember fell asleep, and with that the girls and Professor McGonagall entered the room. And McGonagall said, "Mr. Potter thank you, without you I don't know what would have happened. I think that the right thing should be ten points for coming into the girl's dorm, but thirty points for helping with Miss Veil. Now I think I should take take her to the Hospital Wing to make sure she is ok, and no lasting damage."

"May I come with you please?" Harry asked with concern.

"Why is that Mr. Potter?" asked his Head of House.

"I've had the kind of nightmare that Ember had before," Harry explained to McGonagall, as he recalled his own dealings with his own nightmares, "and it would help her when she wakes up if someone she knows and trusts was nearby to comfort her. As not only will she be upset at what happened, but she'll be in an unknown area that she hasn't been to yet and so her magic might react again and this time much worse."

McGonagall and the girls were shocked to hear that the Boy-Who-Lived had such nightmares to have his magic effect in such a way like Miss Veil's did, but then again it shouldn't be too surprising seeing how his parents were killed. So to have someone who have been through the same thing as Miss Veil, nightmare wise, might help her get better so that she wouldn't have more in the future, and it might stop her reacting badly being in a strange area like Mr. Potter said. So with a warm smile she said, "In that case Mr. Potter you may come."

And so with that the two of them left the girl's dormitory, and headed off to the Hospital Wing where the two new Gryffindor's spent the night.

_**TO BE CONTINUED!**_

_**Note:**_ Here ends the fourth part of the new saga of The Blood Stone Saga, I would like to thank you for reading it, and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. I would love to get any ideas and suggestions you might have. I'll admit in parts I am not happy with, but I think I got want I wanted out of this chapter. If you don't like the story… don't bother about leaving a hate review… if it doesn't affect me or how I will be writing in the future, then I'm not interested. If you feel that there needs to be a little improvement then please point that out to me and any suggestions on how to make the story better. I'm also after ideas for what should happen in the first year, so I hope you'll help me out there.

_**I'm also still looking for ideas for pranks, and I hope you can help with this as I'm wanting a few magical and non-magical ones. Please help me out here, as I'm after some ideas and would like to use some of them soon. I'm now looking for a prank that the Weasley Twins could pull on Harry first, as it'll start off a prank war between the three of them, any ideas please let me know.**_

_**Seeing that so many are against the idea of the Confundus Charm, I would like ideas of how Harry's friends become Dark and join him. Any and all ideas are welcomed.**_

_**I was wondering, how would you feel if I brought the three Slytherins who befriend Harry in his second year sooner, within the first year? If you like the idea I'll do it, if not I'll leave it until second year.**_

_**Another thing is people are complaining that Harry has had it too easy with things, like how his underground club had it too easy and that. So I would like to ask you what sort of problems should Harry run into now? I love to hear what you lot may come up with.**_

I had a few useless guest reviews from someone called NotRegistered, that I have deleted, the first few were about my profile comments that I have there. They might be stupid and some might not agree, but I kind of see where they're trying to do so I posted them there. If others do not agree to them that is none of my business, and so I will not hear about it from others, so please don't review about it as if possible I'll delete them. Another one from the same person I think he was trying to say this is the worst story he/she ever read, all I can say is that if you don't like the story don't read it. Now as I said in my notes before, if I get any hate reviews that doesn't help with my work I'm not interested.

What I didn't say and am doing so now, if the hate reviews are guests and aren't helpful I'll be removing them. But if they point out a problem that needs to be fixed, or ideas that I could use to make the story better I'll keep them. I'm not against hate reviews, but only if they are helpful and help me to become a better writer. Otherwise I don't want to know about them. Please consider this when reviewing, as I don't want you to waste your time or mine in useless hate reviews that if not going to be helpful aren't going to seen.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story. And so you know, there's a poll on my fanfiction profile, that'll decide which story I should work on next, I hope you leave a review of you can't vote, and if you can, please do so.

_**Next time on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ In the next chapter, we'll see Harry's first week at Hogwarts, which is mostly done but planning to add things to it to make it longer and add details about the new things that I have added so far. This'll take some time, as good news to you who like Animagus Mishap, as I'm planning to write one or two chapters for this story.


	14. Chapter 12 - The Blood Stone: Part 6

_**Chapter Twelve…**_

_**The Blood Stone - Part 6!**_

_**(First Week at Hogwarts!)**_

_9th of September 2011:_

After the night Harry helped Ember through her nightmare, the next few days before their first official school day had been somewhat busy. As he had been helping Ember to get a better control of her powers, and able to use them much longer than she is used to. The first thing Harry had Ember do was to join him in his runs, and his exercises to build her strength and stamina, as it would be the key to be able to control her powers.

Ember was more than happy to do what Harry asked of her, even though she knew that it really was Harry and not her real father that helped her through her nightmares, thanks to the girls telling her, she was thankful for his help. But thanks to Harry's spell work, she thought she dreamt about her father telling to trust Harry, who would help her train with her powers.

Harry felt, he wasn't sure of the feeling, but he felt it was a cheap way of getting an ally, he didn't do any work to get her to side with him. Which is why he altered the spell work, as Ember slept the night as Harry stopped her magic going overboard, he altered the memories a bit. Harry made it so that she dreamt, she would have dreamt of her father talking to her and telling her to seek Harry out for help to train her. But instead of fully trusting him as he did the night before, he tried to make it so that those spells didn't work and that he would have to work for it. But it would seem that even without the spells, Ember was infested with him.

Harry knew he would have to be careful in the future, he was foolish about using the Confundus Charm. Sure if he used it, things would become much easier for him. But the risk grew that people found out about him using it, not only that but all the fun would be taken away from it all too. He wanted to work to become a powerful Dark Lord, if he always used Mind Altering Spells to get his own way, it would mean nothing in the end. As someone could undo all his work with undoing the spell and people would go against him in the end, it would be better if he gained a reputation, one where they would be too fearful to go against him.

Harry wasn't stupid enough to think he wouldn't have to use Mind Altering Spells, but when it came to gaining allies, he wanted to work on it. Changing people's beliefs without Mind Altering Magic, so that it would be they who decided to join Harry on their own free will, and not some spell. It might take a while, but Harry had other things to do before he needed followers to fight for him, before then he was willing to take his time. Harry would only use Mind Magic when he knew that a person he needed had high morals that wouldn't allow themselves to become Dark, and that he really needed that person on his side.

Either way, with the problem with Ember dealt with, when he wasn't helping to train Ember, he was getting to know more about a few of his dorm mates. Harry learnt from Ron and his brothers, that their father worked with the Mystics as a Liaison between the Mystics and the Ministry of Magic. This department would not only have Mr. Weasley be the go between to the two parties, but he would be the Head of a group that would make sure that magical items didn't fall into the Muggle World.

The Weasley Twins told Harry that this was a dream job come true for their father, as unlike most people in the Wizarding World, he always had a thing for the Muggle World and the Mystics. So working as a Liaison, their father learnt more about them, and taught them about the Muggle World and the Mystics. The twins told Harry that the only ones in the family that wouldn't bother about the Muggles and the Mystics was their mother and their brother Ron, as both didn't want to interact with them, but learnt the basics about them so that if they were forced to, they knew what to do. Although with Ron, he admitted that he didn't want to learn much unless he had to and so unless it was important, he didn't want to learn about it.

As Harry talked to the Weasleys, Harry found that the twins were fun loving jokesters, but Harry could sense a bit of a dark side to them, waiting to come out. Harry was thinking how he could use this to his advantage, it might take some time but they could make good allies in the future.

Ron was a bit of an ass, making fun of those who were smarter than him and those who wanted to learn like Hermione, Ember and Harry. Harry didn't say or do anything for now as Harry knew that unlike him, Ron didn't have to grow up the same way and in heart was still a child. So Harry decided to give him time to grow up, where Harry hoped that Ron would grow out of this. But Harry wasn't going to give Ron that much of time, if Ron didn't show some progress, within the next year or so, Harry would think twice about being friends with the young red head.

As for the oldest of the Weasley children at Hogwarts, Percy, Harry didn't like him one bit. He was a stick in the mad, who only thought about himself and getting ahead of others, using whatever means possible. Normally Harry would use this, but the problem was that he had strong beliefs in the rules and in the Ministry of Magic and what they say. Because of this, Harry knew he had to be careful around him, as Percy could be a problem for him in the future if he wasn't careful.

Whilst she wasn't starting until next year, Harry was a bit worried about the youngest and only female Weasley, Ginny Weasley. The twins and Ron both told him that she was a fan girl of the Boy-Who-Lived, and wanted nothing more than to meet him. This could be useful to Harry, but the thing was he didn't know what she was like and if she could be useful to him in anyway. So until next year, Harry had to hold off his thoughts, and decide what to do with Ginny when she came to Hogwarts next year.

Anyway, Harry talked to a few people in his year, some were fine and others weren't, the thing was that unlike him, they grew up with a _normal_ childhood, and so didn't have much darkness in their lives like him and Ember had. Well if they had they hid it well, or didn't say anything about it. So at the moment, there was no one he could see as a possible ally within his own House.

Well almost no ally. There was Hermione Granger, she was scary smart and, from what Harry saw, great at research, someone Harry could use. But the problem is that she had strong morals and trust in authority. Not only that but it would seem that unless it was in a book, she didn't believe it was true. Like when she found out that he had a pet and a Familiar, at first she thought it was against the rules to have more than one pet at Hogwarts. Harry had to point out that Aneira was his Familiar, and Hedwig was his pet, and by the school rules he could have both. Hermione didn't believe it, as she hadn't read about it, but once she read about it, Hermione had the good grace to blush, having already set up a whole lecture about how rare his situation was. Harry was hoping that in time he could work on her, and have her side with him.

But there was one person Harry couldn't get on with, and that's was mainly because of who his parents were, namely his mother: Neville Longbottom. The young Longbottom boy informed Harry that their mothers were each other's Godmothers, and Harry didn't take the news well. Upon finding this out, Harry demanded where was she all these years when he needed her. Not only for help, but to inform him about his part in the Wizarding World and prepare him for everything.

Not realizing it until it was too late, Neville made it worse by telling Harry, after telling the last Potter about his family past that they were training him to protect himself from those who escaped justice and Azkaban who worked for You-Know-Who. Hearing this pissed Harry off big time, he could understand if Neville told him that his parents didn't do anything until now because of fear of those who joined the Dark Lord coming after them to get him for revenge. Whilst Harry might not like it, he could understand not wanting to risk their son's life. But to hear that the Death Eaters were already after them, and that they were training their son to defend himself from such attacks, and done nothing to see if he was ok, that pissed Harry beyond anything.

So when Neville told Harry that his mother wanted to see Harry, Harry was angry about this and asked before walking away, why would he want to see her when she never bothered to see him all these years. Neville tried over the week to explain, but Harry wouldn't listen. To Harry family was important, and should be protected no matter what, and nothing should stand between them. Family might not like each other, or agree all the time, but to Harry family comes first and should be protected from outsiders.

Then there were the meetings with the Mystic Knights and Aurors over the weekend, wanting to know about what happened at Merlin's Station. As they wanted to know what Harry knew, and why he helped out and how. He didn't tell them everything, leaving a few things out unless asked about, but after the weekend, they seemed to get what they wanted from Harry and left him alone. Although Harry noticed that Dumbledore was giving him strange looks, although Harry wasn't sure why though, it was like the Headmaster didn't like that he could defend himself for some reason. Harry would have to keep an eye out for the old Headmaster, as not for the time he suspected the old man would be a problem for him in the future.

Anyway it was early Friday morning, and Harry and Ember had just finished their morning exercise, to help build up Ember's strength and stamina, which they were doing at least once a day, and was going to the Great Hall to get something to eat before getting cleaned up.

As Harry walked back up to the castle, Harry thought about the week he had once classes started up. It wasn't all that bad, although there were a few problems, the first being Peeves the Poltergeist. It was hard enough to get around the castle, but with the Poltergeist being around, it was even harder. He would drop waste paper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"

However, worse than him, if that even was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. He would threaten the students to lock them up or chain them up in the dungeons if they crossed him. Harry, Ember and Ron did just that by mistake, but were saved by Professor Quirrell. What didn't help was that Filch owned a cat named Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-coloured creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later.

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves, which Harry learnt that the classrooms were made bigger too because of how many students there were now. There were the magic classes and non-magic classes. The magic classes were Charms, Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Charms, was taught by Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. He was a laid-back teacher, and had a rich sense of humour and was always fair with his students, even those who were not in Ravenclaw. He was an excitable man, taking true passion in helping his students learn his craft.

He had two classes with Professor Flitwick, on Mondays first thing and on Tuesday before lunch with the Ravenclaws, these two classes were all about the theory behind magic and how it was done. The Charms Professor explained that these classes would help them with the future classes, as they would explain about how magic worked and how to use their wands properly and cast spells. Harry was interested in this, as more he learnt about magic the more he could do with it, and to better hone his skills.

Defence Against the Dark Arts, boy was that a big let-down, it was one of the classes Harry was really looking forward to, but it was taught by the stuttering fool, Professor Quirrell. For a class that should have stressed perfect casting, Quirrell couldn't teach his way out of a wet paper bag. It took him twice as long to instruct anything, and it took the class two or three times longer to learn anything because it took quite a while to work out what Quirrell was saying. What was worse was that they had this class two times a week, last class on Mondays and just before lunch on Wednesday.

The last magical class was Transfiguration, which was taught by Professor McGonagall, Harry was quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a stern and firm lecture the moment they sat down in her first class. She warned about how dangerous her class was and told them all what would happen to them should they mess around in her class. They had her class twice a week, last thing on Tuesdays and first thing on Thursday. Like Charms, the class explained about how magic worked and how to use their wands properly and cast spells.

Harry remembered his first Transfiguration class, and how he pointed himself out of the rest of the class:

_**o0OoO0o**_

_13th of September 2011:_

It was Tuesday Harry and Ember had just finished lunch, and they decided to get to their last class for the day Transfiguration early. As they entered the classroom, they found that there was no one there yet, most like Professor McGonagall was still out having lunch or doing errands before class, the only thing in there was a silver tabby sitting on the front table which Harry suspected was Professor McGonagall's. But Harry thought something was strange about the cat, as Harry had never met a cat that sat so still like this one, but Harry wasn't sure what was up with it.

Either way, seeing that there was still time before the rest of their class arrived and class would start, Ember and Harry opened their books and read. Since Harry decided to come to Hogwarts, he read up more about Transfiguration, where he learnt there was more to it than he first thought. Like needing Runes, so that whatever they transfigured, would last for years or until they no longer needed it, instead of a few days or weeks. But that didn't change Harry opinion about the class, until they learnt about how to use Transfiguration to fight with it, it would basically be useless to him, as he didn't see the need for it in his day by day life. If he could get his Head of House to agree, he would either get to a high year, or skip this class altogether and learn what he needed by himself.

Anyway, time slowly passed and Gryffindor students began to enter the classroom, Hermione was the first and one by one the others came in, the only ones that hadn't arrived yet was Ron and Tony. The class was about a few minutes late starting when Ron and Tony entered the classroom, where Ron said as he caught his breath as he saw that Professor McGonagall wasn't around, "Wow, we made it. Can you imagine the look on old McGonagall's face if we were late?"

Just then the silver tabby and transformed into Professor McGonagall, and Ron put words to what Harry thought at that moment, "That was bloody brilliant!"

"Thank you for that assessment Mr. Weasley," said Professor McGonagall, "but I think it'd be better if I transfigured you or Mr. Booth into a watch so you would be on time"

"Sorry Professor, but we got lost." apologised Tony.

"In that case it would be better to transfigure one of you into a map," McGonagall remarked to the two boys, "now I hope you don't need a map to your desks."

And with that the two boys who were now red faced, went to one of the spare desks and sat down without another word. Once they were seated, Professor McGonagall went on to say, "Now Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts, but be warned, if I see anyone messing around in my class, you'll leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed, even Harry, and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle.

When McGonagall saw that Harry didn't even pick up his wand, she had to ask, "Is there a problem Mr. Potter?"

"Oh no Professor McGonagall, I just find it a waste of my time." Harry explained to his teacher.

"Oh? And why is that?" McGonagall asked with a frown, with the students looking at him strangely.

"I can do this with my eyes closed," Harry said with a smile, "in fact any Mystics worth their salt can."

"Oh please Mr. Potter, prove it to us." the Transfiguration Professor told Harry, unhappy about how he was acting but was interested if the Boy-Who-Lived could do this.

"Ok Professor," Harry said with a smile, as he picked up his wand and without a word and just a lazy wave over the match, he turned it into a perfect silver needle. Not only was it a perfect needle, but it had a lion's head on the top of it.

"How is that possible Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked in shock and awe, as the students looked shocked, awe and jealousy: namely Ron and Hermione. "Not even your father who was skilled in Transfiguration, could do what you did in his first try, so how is it that you can?"

"Because I'm a Mystic, and any decent Mystic could do what I did," Harry explained to his Professor, "as you know. To magic there are three key point to doing magic: imagination, power and belief. With Mystics, whilst power and belief are important, imagination is the most important part. As we need to have a good image of what we want to do to make it happen, so as long as we have a good image and we have the power and belief we can do something, we can do almost anything we want. So turning a matchstick into a needle is child's play, and a waste of my time. So if possible I would like to know if I could skip this class to another year to see what I can do in that year?"

Professor McGonagall was shocked, young Harry Potter was much like his mother, someone who was smart who wanted a challenge. Sadly there was nothing she could do to help, Hogwarts wouldn't allow students to skip a year, as past Headmasters wanted to keep students with their peers so they didn't lose touch with the people at their age. It is the same with personal tutors, unless there is a very good reason, personal tutors were highly discouraged.

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter but I can't allow that, as past Headmasters made it so that students couldn't skip a year or two, so that they couldn't isolate themselves from their peers." the Transfiguration Professor told Harry, "For now, can you help the others turn their matches into needles please?"

Harry knew that he wasn't able to say much, and in a way, even if he didn't like it, he could see where the Headmasters were coming from. And he knew that unless it was something important you could say, he couldn't get a tutor either, as it would look like he was isolating himself from his peers. So Harry knew that the only thing he could do for now was this, "Ok Professor." Harry said to his Professor as he began to help the others.

As he proceeded, Harry slowly helped his classmates to transform their matches into needles, the few Mystics that were in the class were able to do it once it was explained to them how to do it. But they weren't the first to do it first, it was a non-Mystic, Hermione Granger, who was able to turn her match into a needle after Harry - and she didn't have any help from Harry. Not many others were able to, Ron and Tony were a few who couldn't do it, but Longbottom was able to. At the end of the class, Harry got thirty points for what he did in class.

_9th of September 2011:_

Harry smiled as that night he talked to Hermione about the class, as Hermione asked why he found Transfiguration such a waste of time, and what he meant about magic being about power, belief and imagination. So Harry explained that to him, Transfiguration was a waste of time as unless there was some sort of power source, like a magical being or item, or runes, Transfiguration only lasted for a short amount of time before changing back to its original form. So for someone who lives in the normal world, Transfiguration is useless unless it was Battle Transfiguration, to help in fights, which they wouldn't learn until sixth year.

Then Harry explained about power, belief and imagination: power was simple enough, each person with magic has a limit as to how much magic they have. It was why some people could do more than others could do, but it didn't mean that they were limited to what they could do. Which came to belief and imagination, imagination is one of the most important skills when it comes to being a Mystic, more so than power, as if you can't imagine what skills you want, you are limited to what you can do. So more imagination a child has, more skills that person can do. And no matter how powerful a person is, depending on the skills a Mystic might have, they can defeat the most powerful person there is. The other than power and imagination, the most powerful tool for a magic use be it a Wand User like herself or a Mystic like him, belief is the most powerful tool they have. As if they don't believe that they can do something, they won't be able to do it and be limited to what they can do.

As Harry finished telling Hermione this, she had to think about it and after a while had to agree with what he said. For those who live in the non-magical world, the need for Transfiguration is useless unless it was to defend themselves. And as for power, belief and imagination, Hermione could truthfully say she never thought about it, and was interested in it and made her think.

Hermione found Harry interesting, for most of her life she was the first to be able to do anything at school, and now it would seem that she was not. Whilst Harry didn't seem to be as good at theory and research as she was, he was so much better at the practical than she ever would be. And the talks that they had at times, got her thinking, as Harry would discredit things what was in books, with his own beliefs and thoughts, telling her that people wrote what they thought was right and that more often than not others might know better than someone who wrote a book. She should look things up for herself rather than believing what someone wrote, so she could decide what is right or wrong.

Harry himself enjoyed talking to Hermione, whilst Ron and Tony were fun to be with, it was great to talk to someone who could understand him and felt the same about being challenged to become better. Talking to Hermione allowed him to learn more, and have a challenging conversion, as they would make each other think.

Anyway, as for the non-magic classes, they weren't too bad. Herbology, History of Magic, Astronomy and Potions, out of these classes, Potions was the only class that Harry hadn't yet taken.

Herbology was Harry's favourite of these classes. The class was taught by a stout little witch called Professor Sprout where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, followed by learning about their many uses. Professor Sprout informed them that over time they would learn how these plants could heal people, and how they could be used for harm - mostly so they knew what to look out for - but that would be later on, a few years down the road.

The class was with the Hufflepuffs, but they stayed paired in their own House. Out of the two Houses, Longbottom was the best student within the class.

Astronomy was taught by Professor Sinistra, she was a gorgeous witch, one of the youngest on staff from what Harry had seen, and if Harry was just the slightest bit more mature he'd describe the woman as sexy. She had a young sister, Julia Sinistra, who was a fourth year Ravenclaw. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of a point to the class yet, at least from what Harry could tell. Learning the constellations and planets and such was fun, but there was little practical application and had to wonder why they had such class in the first place.

The last class was History of Magic was taught by Professor Helling, who was a middle age Witch, with black hair, wearing equally black robes, her name was Professor Melanie Helling. From what Harry learnt, the class used to be taught by a ghost who droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, normally it was about Goblin Wars and such. Rarely did he go on about other points of history, it was the worst class at Hogwarts, other than potions from what Harry heard.

That was until Helling took over and taught History for the last five years from what the Weasley Twins told him, Professor Helling had to fight tooth and nail to get the job. She wanted it because she was once a student at Hogwarts, and she believed that people learn from the past, and having Professor Binns who droned on and on and sent people to sleep as he taught, made sure that the past wasn't learnt. So once she finished Hogwarts, she did everything she could to learn about History and fraught to get the job, which she barely got but those are the governors board that wanted their children to learn history was able to make it so she got the job.

From what the twins told Harry, the new History Professor had to use another classroom, as the ghost, Binns, didn't realize that he didn't have a class anymore, but kept going to class to teach. The Twins told Harry that they once went to one of Binns 'classes,' to see what one was like, and they said it was their worst idea yet. As they were told by another student, the Ghost Professor droned on and on and sent people to sleep within half an hour of being there. So they were happy that they had Professor Helling, at least they would be learning something.

The first class they had, Professor Melanie Helling explained who she was and what they would suspect that year, she told them that she would have no foolish or disrespect in her class. She told them that unlike other teachers who taught history, she didn't believe everything that was in the books, as those who wrote them only knew part of the information. The rest could have been lost through time, or was altered in some way. As the saying goes, history is often written by the victors.

So for the next year, they would be using her books and do their own research in history, and at the end of each class she would pick one or two people to read out the reports. This is the best way to make their own mind up about history, instead of listening to other people's thoughts who could be biased or did not have the information that she had gained over the years. They might find that their own findings are the same as others, if they only looked so far in her books, or they might find something more or find that they have their own thoughts about what really happened in the past. Helling also told them that they had to think about what they found, and decide if what was done was right, or if they had their own opinion to add to what happened or what could have been changed for a different, and at times a better, outcome.

Harry found this interesting, as it would allow him find not only to see if he could find something else that wasn't in the history books that normal children normally read. He could listen to his classmates about their findings, and see if any of them got a hint of darkness that he could work on and so find some future allies once he worked on them.

Either way, back to the present where Harry and Ember were eating breakfast by now, when Hermione came down to the Great Hall with Ron and Tony behind her. Whilst Ron and Tony were his friends, Hermione and he were more of Study Buddies than friends. Harry would like to be friends with her, but Ron and Hermione fought too much. Hermione was making great progress as she socialized with others, but she was still grating at times as some of her old habits die hard. Ron wasn't helping and poked fun at basically everything he could about, if it wasn't for Harry wanting to see if Ron would grow up and mature, Harry would tell Ron where to go. But Harry did try and hurry up the progress, and tell Ron where he was going wrong, but it was rough going and he didn't know if his friendship with Ron would last much longer.

It was about quarter past eight now, half an hour since Hermione, Ron and Tony came down to the Great Hall breakfast, when Harry and Ember got up to head off to get their things and go to class early. Hermione, Ron and Tony were surprised about them going early, but Harry explained that seeing that Snape, who was the Head of House Slytherin, was teaching it and if the rumours were true, favoured his own House heavily, he didn't want to give him reason to hate him (Harry) more.

It was also said that he allowed his House to ruin other people's potions, and took points for the simplest things. Out of all the Houses Snape was rumoured to hate Gryffindor the most for something that happened to him as a child, something that a Gryffindor did to him. Harry had to admit he was baffled by the whole situation, if you hated one fourth of the students because of what colour they wore, _why would you teach_? These were all rumours though, so Harry wouldn't go against the man, _yet_.

But there was something more, the look that Snape give him at the start of the year, made him think that the Potion Professor hated him for some reason. Hermione told him and the other two boys that he handed around that Snape would be like that, as he was a professor and so he would be a professional, and would like one. Harry didn't think so, as he knew a few people who meant to be a professional but weren't, but Harry knew that unless she saw it first hand, Hermione wouldn't believe it. For now, he would have to wait and allow Hermione see the truth herself, now he and Ember got their things for Potions before going down to the class.

By the end of Potions class, not only did Hermione learn how unprofessional he was, but Harry learned something, at the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him, but by the end of the class, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't _dislike_ Harry - he _hated_ him. At least he gave him a reason to hate him though apart from whatever reason he had to begin with.

Potion lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder there than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, _yes_, Harry Potter. Our new… _celebrity._" Harry had to bite his tongue to stop himself from launching an insult back at the man's tone. It didn't help that Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making." He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stop death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Harry, Tony and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.

Harry couldn't believe it, some of the rumours about Snape were true, but it wasn't as bad as he thought. He knew that some students were tougher on their students than most, and seeing the kind of class this was it was suspected for Snape to be tough, to keep his students safe from making mistakes. The only problem was Snape's attitude, it was no wonder the students got the wrong end of the stick, the Potion Master only needs to work on his people skills. But Harry wasn't sure what he had done to this man to single him out like he did, he had only seen Snape for the first time last week. But this wasn't going to be the only time that day that Snape was going to single him out.

"Potter!" Snape snapped suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry thought about it for a few moments, he had read a few chapters of each of his books before coming to Hogwarts, and to be honest he couldn't remember anything about what would he get if he added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood. But the truth was how would the teachers suspect, Muggleborns or Raised, first years to remember everything when they only find out about the Wizarding World about two months before hand, and had so much information to learn over the next two months. It would be near impossible if you weren't like someone like Hermione to remember everything in a short time, so he said honestly, "I don't know sir."

Meanwhile Harry saw that Hermione had her hand up, knowing the answer, but Snape absently noticed her hand had shot into the air, but Snape wasn't taking any notice of her.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything." Snape taunted as he kept ignoring Hermione's hand. "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a Bezoar?"

Harry had to smirk at this, he knew this one, it wasn't because he read about it in one of the books, but because of Bowser. The former Pit Boss advised Harry that he should have a Bezoar on him at all times, as he was the Boy-Who-Lived, and there were those who wanted nothing more than to take vengeance on him for what he did to the Dark Lord when he was a baby. One of the ways that they might use was poisons, so it would be for the best to have a Bezoar on him at all times so that should he be poisoned, he could have a cure on him at all times unless it was very powerful poison which was rare. From what Bowser told him, they should be learning about the basics of poisons and the antidotes at the end of the first year, start of the second year.

Either way, Harry saw once again that Hermione stretching her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat. Harry was half-tempted to be cocky and say in the Supply Cupboard, or a Apothecary, but decided against it. It already looked like this person hated him, he didn't need to give the man a real reason. So with a smile that seemed to piss Snape off, Harry answered, "A Bezoar is a stone that's taken from the stomach of a goat, and it will save you from most poisons. In fact I have one in my pocket if you want to show the class." Harry said with a smile as he pulled out a small black stone.

"What on earth are you doing with a Bezoar?" Snape sneered at Harry in disbelief.

Harry wasn't going to tell them the truth, he showed it so that the kids of the parents of Death Eaters and Dark Mystics could tell them that poisons wouldn't be any harm to him. So he half-lied, "I'm the last male and Heir to House Potter, and I was informed by someone that it is prudent to have a Bezoar just in case, and that all Heirs of a family has one on them." Here there were a few nods from a few of the students who were Heirs to their family.

Snape wasn't happy to hear this, as he couldn't dock any points from Potter without upsetting a few important Purebloods at the same time. So he went on to say, "Fine, let's see if you know this one: what's the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" The man snarled, losing his cool noticeably, causing the class to blink, they heard the stories of Snape and they didn't suspect this would happen.

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling. Harry shook his head lightly; if Snape wasn't going to allow her to answer the other questions, why would she think that he would allow her this time? On the other hand, he was getting tired of Snape, the man was a petty asshole. Not everyone was like Hermione Granger who had a good memory, and who lived to read, he didn't understand how Snape would suspect them to remember everything in the first year Potion Books.

He knew the answer, thankfully, not only from a book either, although he did read it in one of his Hogwarts Books. But any true gardener worth their salt would know this, not those who do it as a hobby or keep the garden, but those who enjoy gardening and want to make sure their gardens were at their best. It was something Harry was thankful for about the Dursley's, having basically single handily kept the Dursley's garden living over the years had its perks, he supposed.

Harry sighed though as he thought about this, he suspected the first question was even in the first year books, as if it was something so powerful to send someone to sleep, no first year should be able to make. The second one was near the end of the year class question, and unless you read all of the books you wouldn't know about it. The third, well, that was most likely a trick question trying to trip him up like the other questions. _'What has this man got against me,'_ Harry thought not for the first time,_ 'why does he hate me so much when we never meet before.'_

Harry knew that he was being somewhat paranoid, but with the hateful looks this man was giving him, what else was he to think?

Either way thought, it would seem that Snape's anger was already at what Harry called Vernon-3, seeing that he couldn't belittle him or make whatever nasty comments he was going to make to Harry. So Harry wondered if he could drive the man all the way up to 6, just to piss him off more. "Why don't you ask Hermione, she seems to know this one…?"

'_Wow, from three to six, that's actually sort of impressive, in a sad sort of way.'_ Harry mused to himself as Snape lost even more composure. "But I suppose you did ask me, so I'll answer. Any true gardener would know this, there is no difference between monkshood and wolfsbane, they're the same plant. The plant is also known as aconite." He answered simply.

Snape glared at him for several more moments, his face purple and a vain throbbing on his shiny forehead before he ground out, "Correct, Potter…" He looked around the room, his bloodshot eyes causing anybody he looked at to recoil. "Well, why aren't you all copying that down?!" He demanded.

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And twenty points will be taken from Gryffindor for your arrogance and being a know-it-all, Potter, along with your cheek."

There was a deluge of cries from the Gryffindors. Taking a point or two from Harry for his cheek would have been normal - something even Harry admitted would have been justified - but twenty points?! What's worse were the points lost for being a 'know-it-all'. The rest of the Gryffindor's may have disliked Hermione for this particular trait due to her habits of being condescending occasionally and a few times rubbed it in their face about it, but at least she earned them loads of points for knowing all the answers, that Harry didn't know, and answering them so they didn't have to. They couldn't believe they were suddenly getting docked points for correct answers, if this kept happening; the Gryffindor's hourglass would be empty by the end of the day.

If he was in his Maverick form and someone done this, he would have shown Snape not to disrespect him. But for now all Harry could do was remain silent, and plot how to get the man back for his petty ways. It all started with Snape telling the class that what they were doing a simple potion to cure boils, and the instructions were on the board and they had until the end of the class to finish it.

Harry could only stare at the Potion Professor. That was it? That was the extent of their very first lesson in potion making? Here's the instructions; begin? Where were the details instructions and demonstrations on how to prepare the ingredients? Where were the safety instructions? Where was the safety equipment? Was he simply going to sit there instead of giving personalised instructions? Tell them why things had to be done in such a way so that nothing bad happens; exploding, for instance.

Shaking his head, Harry decided to make the best of things.

Reaching into his bag, he began to take out the things that he'd need: cauldron, silver knife, brass scales. And then, after a few second's thought, he began setting up the way his muggle chemistry teacher had shown him. Whilst he and his class were young, his chemistry teacher treated them as teens, and taught them the same way as he would as he would with the teens. Making sure they were prepared for what is to come. And before starting Bowser brought Harry a few sets lab equipment to use in potions, so that he would be safe.

Harry had pulled out his lab coat, his goggles and nose and mouth mask, he was about to pull out a second set that he got for Ember, when Snape spotted him and ask with a sneer, "Potter, what do you think you are doing?"

"Preparing to make the potion." Harry replied after moving the mask away from his mouth, as students begun to look at Harry, to see what was happening. The Purebloods, and the Half-Bloods who were raised within the Wizarding World, had no idea what these items were. But the Muggle-Borns and Raised knew what these were, and were actually interested in them and wondered why they weren't provided these items before class.

"And what is all of… _that_?" Snape asked, waving his hand derogatorily as he rounded his desk and approached.

Harry waited for his inspection to be completed before continuing.

"Is that… Muggle _science_ equipment?" Snape asked, disgust clear in his voice.

"Yes, Sir," Harry replied. "It's just standard safety equipment, Sir."

"Superfluous," Snape declared. "Remove it. I don't want to see it in this classroom again."

Harry stared at the man. Take it off? Make these potions _without_ any sort of safety equipment whatsoever? He shook his head. It'd been drilled into him far too much for him to do such a stupid thing. "In that case if I do that I won't be doing anything in this class." Harry admitted.

Snape predictably sneered down at him and said, "So, are you so arrogant that you think you don't have to do any work in my class?" Like the empty headed sycophants they were there was some giggling from a few of the Slytherin half of the class.

"Oh, no, nothing of the sort. I'm really looking forward to getting started." Harry said politely. "But you haven't shown us how to make the potion. Your speech in our first class really drove home how dangerous potions class could be, I was just waiting for you to further explain the brewing process and caution us about any mistakes that would cause cauldron melting, or explosions of scrap metal or deadly neurotoxins." Harry barely knew what that last one was, but it sounds appropriately poisonous and it just seemed to roll off the tongue.

"Are you telling me what to do Potter?" Snape hissed.

"No." Harry answered. He probably should have added a 'sir' in somewhere, but he refused to show that level of respect to a petty bully. "But as you would admit yourself, making potions can be dangerous, especially for those who never been near or even seen a cauldron before. I myself have only seen a cauldron once on a school trip, and we certainly didn't brew anything in it. I could harm myself, so I thought I protect myself, and seeing that I had a spare set with me, my friend Ember from any accidents that may happen."

Snape didn't hear any of this though, too wrapped up in his own inner rant at the gall of the boy for questioning him. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for disrespecting a Professor." Snape sneered at Potter, surprisingly other than Gryffindor been upset by this, even a few Slytherins were unhappy about this.

Whilst they wouldn't admit this openly about this, but they agreed with Potter, the idea of this equipment was a good idea, as they knew that there were many potion accidents that could be prevented if they had the gear to do so. It would seem that the Muggle World had one idea that they could agree with.

"And for your information, should there be any accidents there is Madam Pomphrey and the Hospital Wing to deal with them," Snape informed Harry, he went on to say, "now. Remove that muggle nonsense."

"First off -" Ron tried to stop Harry from talking, so that he wouldn't lose more points from Gryffindor, but Harry wasn't having any of it. "I wasn't disrespecting you, I was just telling you why I was wearing this equipment." He answered, before asking, "And wouldn't it be better to prevent accidents from happening so that Madam Pomphrey don't have to heal them. And what if there was an accident that Madam Pomphrey can't heal, but could be prevented by wearing protective equipment?"

The problem was that Snape didn't hear any this, all Snape heard was 'I'm not doing this because you're a greasy git.' Having grown so used to the nickname from students it was so ingrained in his mind he now thought everyone who wasn't a Slytherin called him that, something he only helped along. "Fifty points Potter, and you're coming with me to the Headmaster's office! Class dismiss…" Snape declared. He tried to grab Potter's arm, but the boy moved out of the way. He ignored this, playing it off, and walked out of the room anyway. The Potter brat was following him, the one act all day Snape couldn't accuse him of being a dunderhead for doing.

_**o0OoO0o**_

Snape dragged Harry to the second-floor corridor, where they walked down to the corridor which Harry learnt was called Gargoyle Corridor. As they got to the end of Gargoyle Corridor, Snape sneered at the Gargoyle, "Mars Bar."

And then the gargoyle suddenly sprang to life and hopped aside as the wall behind him split in two, where Harry saw the spiral staircase moving smoothly upward. As he and Snape stepped onto it, like before, Harry heard the wall thud closed behind them. They rose upward in circles, higher and higher, until at last, slightly dizzy, Harry saw a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.

They stepped off the stone staircase at the top, and Snape rapped on the door. And they heard someone say, "Come in Severus, Harry."

Harry wondered if there was some kind of ward around the entrance to let the Headmaster know who was at the door, it would explain how he knew who was at the door, he would have to see if he could find out later.

Harry was glad to see that his Head of House, Professor McGonagall, was in the office, so that he didn't have to call for her. Unlike the last time that he was here, the portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, were all awake in their frames. Now that he was fully awake, and had time to look round, he realized that whilst looks interesting, it wasn't all that at all. He could make something like this, if he wanted.

Anyway, as he looked around, he saw a phoenix, something he read about in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, as he wanted to see what magical creatures were real. So far he found that there were many creatures that were real, that won't, and some he didn't know existed. He knew that he would have to be careful with this creature, as from what he read, a phoenix's song gives pain. So imagine Harry's surprise that when the phoenix looked at him with interest in his eyes and sang, and suspecting pain, all he got was a mild headache, it was like the phoenix wasn't even trying, but was trying to figure Harry out or something. Because if was only a mild headache, Harry didn't show any signs of discomfort in front of the Professors.

Harry wasn't sure why the phoenix's song didn't hurt him, maybe there was still some good in him and so it didn't hurt him as bad should his heart be completely dark, or there was another reason that Harry wasn't sure about. Either way, he would have to keep an eye on the phoenix, as he felt as there was something more to it than met the eye, and something he should keep an eye on.

Either way, Albus Dumbledore asked, "Severus, what are you doing here with Harry? Aren't you be in class with Slytherin/Gryffindor?"

"The brat refuses to be taught!" Severus Snape spat.

Harry scowled. He'd been called much worse over the years, not to mention that he'd been blamed for worse things, but this was different. The people who did this before, hated him because they feared magic, and hate him and his parents, but this man he didn't even know and had no idea why he hated him. Sure whilst at Hogwarts he was going to have to keep a low profile, but for something like this he wasn't going to let slide.

"Now, Severus, name calling isn't going to get us anywhere," Headmaster Dumbledore stated lightly, his blue eyes twinkling behind his glasses, as he offered Harry a chair, which Harry took, as the Snape began prowling about, his black robes billowing about as he stalked.

"I have to agree Severus, I don't know what happened, but naming calling isn't called for, I've told you many times." Professor McGonagall told Snape.

From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Snape's grimace deepen.

"This is obviously about today's lesson," Headmaster Dumbledore observed, "perhaps if you tell me exactly what happened?"

The prowling stopped as Snape spun to stare at the Headmaster. "The class started and I give Potter a few questions to see what he knew, he answered two of the three questions I give him, but docked him a few points for his check. I then instructed the class to make the Boil Cure Potion, but Potter refused to do so."

"Is Professor Snape's description of events accurate, Harry?" Headmaster Dumbledore asked.

"In essence, I guess," he grudgingly allowed, not liking that the man who hated for him told the truth, but at the same time didn't tell the full truth, "although I would have provided more detail."

"So, you did refuse to do the work?" Headmaster Dumbledore persisted.

Harry's eyes narrowed. It was obvious who the Headmaster favoured here, and it wasn't the truth. He'd expected to at least be asked for his version of events.

"I felt that I had no choice to." Harry replied carefully.

"Why did you feel that you had no choice?" Professor McGonagall asked kindly, interested to find out the truth. She knew what Severus was like, and wanted to know what happened before she decide what to do next. "Can you tell us what happened?"

Harry suppressed his feeling of triumph._ Now_, he could tell his side of the story.

"I felt that it was unwise to create a potion in a situation that was highly dangerous," he replied.

"Dangerous?" Snape spluttered. "My classrooms are not dangerous unless the dunderheads inside it can't follow instructions properly."

Then Harry explained what happened the moment he got into the classroom, how _Professor _Snape singled him out, and asked him questions and injuring the one person who knew the answers. And he explained how he knew them. "I fully admit that I deserved the points taken from me, but not the amount, he took twenty points in all. For my cheek, and my so called arrogance and being a know-it-all." Harry explained to the Professors, having ignored the hook-nosed man's outburst, Harry saw McGonagall giving Snape a dark look as he told his story.

"Then he told the class to do the potion on the blackboard, a copy of what could be found in my textbook," Harry told McGonagall, "with no instructions of any kind, or demonstrations towards how to prepare the ingredients or make the potion, or give us any warnings about what could go wrong and how to fix it should it happen, nor give us any safety gear or pointed out where they could be found.

"So I attempted to use my _own_ lab coat, protective glasses and face mask - items that are mandatory in any normal school's chemistry class when dealing with potentially volatile substances - Professor Snape forbade their use and stated that they were never to be brought to his classroom again. I tried to explain why I was wearing it, and why I gave my spare gear to Ember, when the Professor took another twenty points from me for disrespecting a Professor. When I tried to explained that I was disrespecting him, and that I was wearing the equipment to prevent any accidents that may happen so that Madam Pomphrey don't have to heal them in the first place. Because of this he took another fifty from me, and for some strange reason brought me here."

"Muggle nonsense," Snape spat, throwing his arms up in the air. "Perhaps that sort of thing is needed _out there_, but not here, where I told Potter we have a Hospital Wing and Pomphrey who can fix anything in a thrice."

Headmaster Dumbledore sat back, his elbows on the arms of his chair, hands steepled before him. His eyes never seemed to leave Harry as he thought.

"Professor Snape is correct, Harry," the Headmaster finally said. "Magical healing is a thousand times more effective in the case of accidents."

Before Harry could say anything, Professor McGonagall said, "Albus stop this at once, after hearing what Mr. Potter as said, I have to agree with him. Not only that, but Poppy has been telling me that she wished that there was a way to prevent all these potion accidents, as she feared that one day there might be something she can't heal or fix. If Mr. Potter's equipment can prevent such accidents, I say we look into this and get this equipment for the students."

"Minerva, Professor Snape is the Potion Master and Professor of this school, and so the students must abide by his rules within _his _classroom, like they need to abide by _your_ rules in your classroom." Albus ruled in Snape's side, eliciting a smirk from Snape.

Minerva looked down at this, knowing that she had no leg to stand on seeing that Albus ruled in Snape's side, as he normally did, and knowing that even if she went to the School Governors, she couldn't get far. Not only would Albus not back her up, but Snape was old friends with Lucius Malfoy, who controlled most of the other Governors by fear or money - she would have no way to change things with Malfoy as a Governor.

"In that case I'll have to go to the School Governors and talk to them about getting things change within Potions." Harry told the Professors.

"Just like your father, arrogant, throwing your money and fame to get your way." Snape sneered at Harry.

"Oh so that's your problem, my dead father, how petty can you get." Harry said as he realized what was wrong with the Potion Professor, "You're taking your anger out on me and the rest of the Gryffindors for whatever my father did to you? How pathetic is that? You hire someone like this Headmaster?" Harry asked in shock, wondering what Dumbledore was thinking.

"Professor Snape has my full trust Harry." said Dumbledore, whilst looking disappointed at Harry for some reason.

"If you say so sir," was all Harry said before he went on to say, "but that doesn't change the fact that if things don't change soon, one of two things will happen: first if Professor Snape doesn't agree with the changes to make his class safer, voluntarily, I'll go to the School Governors and have them force him to make the changes. If that doesn't work, I'll only have to hire a personal tutor to teach me potions."

"Professor Snape is one of the leading Potion Master's in the country, Harry, you would be hard pressed to find anyone better at potion making than he is." the old Headmaster countered.

"For this country maybe, but what about another country?" Harry re-countered the old man, "Are you going to say someone better from another country? I'm sure I could find someone from another country, and if not I'll take a less knowledgeable one if they're more safety conscious and can give better instructions than, _'the ingredients are in the cupboard, the instructions are on the board, begin.'_"

Dumbledore's hand snapped up, cutting off whatever Snape's outburst was going to be.

"I'm afraid that while you are in Hogwarts, you are required to take your instructions from Professor Snape," Headmaster Dumbledore stated in a tone of voice that said that the discussion was now closed.

"Oh please, I know for a fact that by Hogwarts by-laws, if I think that any Professor is biased towards me, not teaching the way they should be, or is a risk to my health, I can hire a personal tutor to teach me."

"By all mean hire a personal tutor Potter," Snape sneered at the young first year, "if it means I don't have to deal with an arrogant brat like you, I'm all for it. It's not like you have any chance with the School Governors as it is, they wouldn't allow your muggle nonsense in this school."

Harry couldn't help himself, Snape was thinking he was dealing with a normal first year, who knew nothing about how things were done, the Potion Master was about to have a rude wake up call. "You might be right," Harry said with a smile that both Dumbledore and McGonagall knew all too well from his father before he pulled some prank, "if I was a normal first year student, but I am not, I am the Boy-Who-Lived. Whilst I don't like to use the fame that I hadn't earnt myself, but my parents, I'm willing to use it if it means I can make things better for myself and my friends.

"I don't know who you think you know on the School Governors, but do you really think that anyone on the school board is going to turn me down? I might not be an adult, and know everything, but I do know a few things. When I'm of age, I have at least one seat within Wizengamot, maybe more depending what my Heritage Test reviles when I'm of age. Not only that but I'll also have a seat within the School Governors. And unless I do something foolish before that, or something happens to put me in a bad light, people will want me on their side. So do you think that the School Governors would want me on their bad side, when I could be a useful ally to them in the future? I think they'll agree to a few small things, especially if it is going to make it safe for their own children or grandchildren."

"Harry my boy, you entering a dangerous path, one at your age aren't ready for?" Dumbledore warned the young boy in front of him, "Once you go down this path, your childhood ends, and you'll always looking over your shoulder, as the politics is a dangerous world."

"No I might not be ready for it," Harry admitted wisely, "but that doesn't mean I don't know people who are willing to help me. I don't want to enter the political world until I am ready either, all I want is a normal schooling, but as I told you in my letter that I sent with Hagrid, I won't be pushed around, nor be made a fool of - but if I'm forced to, I will. So the choice of what happens is down to you Headmaster."

Albus was stuck, on one hand he didn't want to make too much changes to the school that he already had to, and he didn't want to push Severus either. But at the same time he didn't want Harry in the political world either, he was already strong willed as it was, and who knows what kind of power or allies he had so far. Dumbledore didn't want to give the boy any more power or allies, but he didn't want to give him his way either. Whatever he did now, the old Headmaster knew he would lose in some way, but how bad of a loss, would be up to what he decided to do now.

Before anything could be said, Professor McGonagall said, "Mr. Potter, why don't you go enjoy your day, and I'll have a few words with the Headmaster and Professor Snape, and see if we can do anything about your ideas." McGonagall knew that she had to defuse all this before one of them said or did something that they would regret, and put into action things that none of them were ready for, especially Harry Potter. She also gave her colleagues a look that told them not to fight her over this.

"Okay Professor McGonagall," Harry said to his Professor, as he hid his smirk, and before going he said, "could you three talk about changing where the class would be taken place? As it I don't think that a place with no windows can be healthy with all the fumes coming from the potions."

"That's not a bad idea Mr. Potter, we _will _be talking about your ideas." Professor McGonagall said with a smile, happy that she could put in a few changes she wanted to put in place for a while but couldn't with people like Dumbledore blocking her. "And all the points you lost will be given back to you, apart for five point for your cheek."

"Thank you Professor." Harry said with a smile, before he left. And as he walked down the stairs, he heard Snape say how arrogant he was being, and how Potter wasn't allowed to tell him how he (Snape) should run his class.

_**TO BE CONTINUED!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the sixth part of the new saga of The Blood Stone Saga, I would like to thank you for reading it, and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. The idea behind the lab equipment was from Muggle-Raised Champion, which I would say is worth a read, and thought it would be ideal for what I wanted and so I put it in this story. I'm sorry for the delay in updates, but real-life got in the way, work and being ill, but with the update I hope you like what I have done.

Anyway, I would love to get any ideas and suggestions you might have. Once again I'll admit that there are parts that I am not happy with, but I think I got what I wanted out of this chapter. If you don't like the story… don't bother about leaving a hate review… as it doesn't affect me or how I will be writing in the future. Then I'm not interested. If you feel that there needs to be a little improvement, then please point that out to me and any suggestions on how to make the story better. I'm also after ideas for what should happen in the first year, so I hope you'll help me out there.

I do have an important question to the story, I'm thinking about adding Tonks to Harry's group, and I was wondering about your thoughts about it. But I was wondering what you lot think, and ask how I should do it. I was thinking about having Tonks in her sixth and seventh year, and have Harry meet up with her as he explores the castle. But I would like to ask what you think.

One last thing, I need your thoughts as to how Harry could become friends with the following students: Cedric Diggory, Susan Bones, and Hannah Abbot from Hufflepuff, and Su Li from Ravenclaw. As I would like some good ideas for the next chapter or two…

Here is Harry's timetable, along with his year, let me know what you think: docs . google spreadsheets/d/1weEJfVrDSmDDBWZQF5pMg2beiB8JZq-wa4I5b-lCum8/edit#gid=0

_**I'm still looking for ideas for pranks, and I hope you can help with this as I'm wanting a few magical and non-magical ones. Please help me out here, as I'm after some ideas and would like to use some of them soon. I'm now looking for a prank that the Weasley Twins could pull on Harry first, as it'll start off a prank war between the three of them, any ideas please let me know.**_

_**I'm still after ideas of how Harry could turn his friends Dark and joining him, instead of using Confundus Charm. Any and all ideas are welcomed.**_

_**I was wondering, how would you feel if I brought the three Slytherins who befriend Harry in his second year sooner, within the first year? If you like the idea I'll do it, if not I'll leave it until second year.**_

_**I'm still after ideas for how to make this harder for Harry, be it with his underground club, his everyday life and such. So I would like to ask you what sort of problems should Harry run into now? I love to hear what you lot may come up with.**_

Just a reminder, if I get a flame review and they are guests and aren't helpful I'll be removing them. But if they point out a problem that needs to be fixed, or ideas that I could use to make the story better I'll keep them. I'm not against flame reviews, but only if they are helpful and help me to become a better writer. Otherwise I don't want to know about them. Please consider this when reviewing, as I don't want you to waste your time or mine in useless flame reviews that if not going to be helpful aren't going to be seen.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story. And so you know, there's a poll on my fanfiction profile, that'll decide which story I should work on next, I hope you leave a review of you can't vote, and if you can, please do so.


	15. Chapter 13 - The Blood Stone: Part 7

_**Chapter Thirteen… **_

_**The Blood Stone - Part 7!**_

_**(History Class, Flying, Troll, Oh My.)**_

_15th of September - Hogwarts, History of Magic:_

It's been nearly a week since the incident in the potion class and the meeting with Dumbledore, and since then all Potion Classes have been cancelled for a short while. It would seem that Professor McGonagall was able to make the Headmaster and Snape see sense, as the Potion Classes were cancelled for about two weeks, during this time a new classroom would be arranged, and new equipment would be brought in that would keep them safe from any accidents.

News that it was thanks to Harry for this changes, fastly spread, and many thanked him for this, as they seemed to think things would be better from now on. Even a few Slytherins were happy about the changes, seeing that a few of their families didn't teach them potions when they were younger, unlike most of the Slytherins had been taught.

With being at Hogwarts for two weeks now, things were slowly coming together for Harry. Whilst he was rethinking his decision of coming to Hogwarts, a few of the classes like Charms were slowly helping him along in improving his Wandless Magic. It was a shame that Transfiguration and Potions, two of the few classes he was interested in, weren't really helping him. But he hoped that with the changes with Potions, that would be something that would be sorted out. Because of the rules within Hogwarts, he couldn't skip a few years in Transfigurations or hire a Personal Tutor, he couldn't do much. But Professor McGonagall did try and help him and suggested a few books Harry could read to help him out.

DADA though was still the worst class he had, Harry had hoped it would help him find some spells or ideas on how to defend against others with wand magic, or other kinds of magic that is out in the world. But the problem was Quirrell, how the Headmaster hired someone who stammers and fears his class, Harry didn't know what to think. Then again, what else should he suspect when the same Headmaster hired someone like Snape.

During last Friday and the weekend, Harry heard two interesting news, the first was when he, Ember, and Ron visited Hagrid, they learnt that one of the vault at Gringotts had been broken into. Gringotts insisted that nothing had been taken, and that the vault was searched had in fact been emptied the same day. The Goblins wouldn't say how it happened, or what was in the vault.

Harry saw that the date of the break in was the same day that he and Hagrid got Harry's things, he had to wonder if it was the same vault that Hagrid had emptied, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. When Harry tried to ask about it, Hagrid badly denied knowing anything about it, making Harry wonder what it was. Harry wouldn't normally care about this, but the thing is that with the third floor being out of bounds, and the thrift, Harry suspected it was at Hogwarts and so wondered what it could be.

The other piece of news was from Bowser, who informed him that they had been able to make his idea in the form of bracelets. They would be able to create enough for him by Christmas, in which Bowser and the girls had arranged for the Grand Opening of the Abyss. Which made Harry happy, they also informed him that they wanted to talk to him about some ideas that they wanted to talk to him about, when he got back at Christmas.

At the start of the week, Harry and his friends found out that anyone who was interested in learning to fly on brooms, would be able to do so on that Thursday coming. Harry wasn't really interested in the idea of fly on brooms, but Ron, Ember, Tony and Hermione were, so Harry put his name down too. Not only to back up his friends, but also he wanted to see what the interest in flying on brooms was all about.

It was the day of his first flying class, and it was still a few hours away, for he was sitting in class waiting for his History of Magic to begin. He didn't have to wait for long when Professor Helling entered the classroom room and stood behind her desk and said, "Greetings class, as you know in our last week we began to work on your projects that you'll soon step forward and give your thoughts about." Helling told the class, "But today though, we'll begin to cover about the Goblin Wars. Today's class well be about the similarities between Goblin Wars and the wars against recent Dark Lords today. But before we start let's see by show of hands, how many of you think that Wizards/Witches are more powerful than Goblins."

Here most of the Half-Bloods and Purebloods that Harry knew of within his first year had their hands up, only a few including himself, Ember and Hermione didn't have their hands up. Once the hands were down, Helling said thoughtfully as she walked around the class, "Hmm, that's interesting to see. Now let's see, Mr. Potter, why didn't you put your hand up?"

"Well I did ome research on them, as I wanted to know the race that I'm dealing with, and who is handling my money." Harry explained to the History Professor, "And what I found out about them, the Muggle saying of _don't judge a book by its cover, _comes to mind. If they really wanted to, they could easily defeat most of the Wand Users."

"How? they don't have magic. And they don't have wands." asked a girl by the name of Lavender Brown if Harry remembered rightly.

"That's what most people like you to think, but answer me this: why are there so many Goblin Wars with the Wizarding World?" asked Harry, "Think about the Mystics, they don't use wands normally, so why do you think that magical creatures like the Goblins need a wand too? They have their own kind of magic, and focus, they fight to have the same equal rights that we have in our world. They are one of the most intelligent and powerful magical creatures in our world today."

"Five points for the basic exemption of the Goblins Mr. Potter," Professor Helling told Harry, "as Mr. Potter just said, Goblins or intelligent and powerful magical creatures. For the last few hundred years, they are mostly known for running most of the wizarding banks there are. The most widespread one would be the British Gringotts, followed by the American Binnings. The relations between wizards and goblins hasn't always been this peaceful."

Helling then pointed her wand to the board and an animated war scene was played for a few minutes. And once the animation of the war played out, she went on to say, "Wizards and Goblins have fought hard over the centuries to come to the status quo as we know it today. Unlike other magical races, the Goblins are a race of warriors and they take pride in this aspect of their culture. This has been proven the hard way to Wizards all over the world. They massively underestimated their opponents and their determination to fight for their freedom and their rights."

Hermione then raised her hand, and when Professor Helling acknowledged her, Hermione asked, "So has the problems between the Wizarding World and the Goblins been solved?"

"Although many would like you to think so, no the problems between the two races have not been solved," the History Professor explained to the young girl, "it would be wrong to say that all the problems between Wizards and Goblins have been solved, they aren't, but the two races get along with each other for the moment at least. And as long as no one is foolish enough and does something to set the Goblins off, I don't see a reason for them to start another rebellion for a very long time, if at all.

"People tend to forget that being different doesn't mean the other one is evil or out to harm you." Professor Helling told the class, "This is a character trait you will find in all human societies, be they Magical or Muggle. The human nature leads to fear of the unknown, and people often fight the unknown because of this fear. Many Dark Lords and Ladies in the past have used this fact for their own gain."

"There has been two Dark Lords that have appeared in Europe during this century, that are good examples of how they used fear to get what they want. The first was Gellert Grindelwald." Here the History Professor waved her wand and a picture of a man in his forties, with golden blond hair and a 'merry, wild' face, "His rise to power was mostly based on the fear of the Wizarding Populace that if the Muggles found out about them, they would return to their practice of witch hunts and burnings. The political situation in central Europe made it even easier for him to succeed in his ambitions. The fascists were singling out people they thought beneath them and in 1939 the German Nazis started World War II. Grindelwald used the fear the war inflicted upon the wizarding population, getting them to believe he had the solution to free them from the muggle terror.

"Nobody knew it at the time, but Grindelwald used the ignorance of the abilities of the Muggles to get rid of political opponents that stood in his way. Many Wizarding Families who protested against his methods suddenly disappeared, many of them to the so called concentration camps or they were killed on sight. Only after his defeat many found out that their leader had given away the locations of his enemies to the Nazis. But the thought that Muggles and Muggleborns were the downfall of the Wizarding World had been rooted in the minds of Wizards and Witches.

"The next was the Dark Lord Voldemort." here many shivered as the History Professor waved her wand and a picture of a man in his sixties, with pale skin with black hair and in black robes. Seeing the shivers from everyone other than Harry and Ember, she said with a sigh, "Five points to everyone who shivered," this shocked the class as she went on to say, "whilst I understand why your parents are scared of him, I can't understand why you lot should be, other than your parent's teachings. I especially can't understand why you Muggleborns are scared of him, until a few months ago you never heard of him so why shiver at his name? He is dead, and can't harm you, and his men haven't been seen in years, so why the fear of them? The only one who should have any fear of Voldemort is Mr. Potter, for what the Dark Lord did to him and his family, but as you can see, he doesn't have any fear of him. Tell us Mr. Potter, why is that?"

"Because Professor, he is either dead as you said, or very weak as some people believe, either way, he can't do me any harm." Harry explained to his Professor and class, "It's not that I'm not scared of him, I would be a fool not to be scared with the things he meant to have done. But it's because I'm not willing to give him that sort of power over me. If I did, like most here, and the people in the Wizarding World, I wouldn't be able to do anything. As the old Muggle saying goes, _fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself_, so I won't fear the name so that he has no real power over me. But that doesn't mean I'm not scared, I'm just willing to fight not to be scared."

"Very good, ten points to Gryffindor," Professor Helling, "and so you know class, as I told the other classes, I'll be taking five points each time you flinch or shiver at the Dark Lord's name. It is my hope to knock the fear that you have for the name out of you, as it does no good to do so. As Mr. Potter said, it would be foolish not to be scared of the Dark Lord with the things he has done, but to fear him so much that you can't fight him, that is foolish. What if the people who believe that the Dark Lord is still out there but weak, regains his powers? How would you defend yourself from him and his men if you fear them?"

"Isn't it the Aurors job to fight him and his men?" Ron asked his Professor.

"That's partly true," the History Professor admitted, "but the true job is to stop them from doing any more damage. Yes, they fight them, and arrest them, but tell me will you still be around if you can't defend yourself if you're too afraid to defend against them? I'm not saying you'll have to fight against them Mr. Weasley, as you said that is the job of the Aurors, but you can defend yourself until the Aurors arrive. That's the problem in the last war, we all have weapons in our hands by the age of eleven, our wands and we are taught the basic defence spell over the years. If back then we used those spells, and didn't let our fears overcome us, the war wouldn't have lasted as long.

"But there lays the problem though, Voldemort," more shivers happened and the Professor took more points from them, "built his reign on the teachings of Grindelwald. He used an existing scapegoat, Muggles and Muggleborns and gathered his own group of loyal followers, the so called Death Eaters. Those followers hid their identity by wearing black cloaks and frightening white masks."

Here the professor waved her wand to the wall and the beginning of a Death Eater raid was shown. Many of the students' faces were pale seeing it.

"The problem at this time, was that unlike the Dark Lord Grindelwald's time, this time the Wizarding World had a real reason to be scared of Muggleborns, as they formed a new race you could say called the Mystics." Professor Helling explained to the class, "These Mystics used their power in ways that the Wizarding World never thought possible. But that's for another class, which will take place in a few weeks or so."

"Either way though, nobody knew who these Death Eaters really were; not even the other Death Eaters, apart for Voldemort himself, and those in his Inner Circle as they called themselves. Witches and Wizards were afraid of who they could trust anymore. What if their neighbour was with Voldemort? The strategy the Death Eaters used is what the Muggles call the guerrilla warfare. They hit in places and other targets that would hurt the community, create chaos and fear and disappear before the law enforcers appeared. It was a hit and run strategy in the beginning. It got so bad that people feared even speaking the Dark Lord's name and they began calling him 'You-Know-Who' or 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'.

"This behaviour only helped Voldemort to strengthen his hold over Britain. The Ministry was busy enough trying to keep the things happening from the muggles to really do anything useful against the terrorists. A stroke of luck, it can't be described otherwise, was the downfall of Voldemort.

"While Grindelwald met the end of his power when Albus Dumbledore defeated him in a duel in 1945, Voldemort was defeated by an infant, Harry Potter, who became known as 'The-Boy-Who-Lived.' Whilst there are many theories as to what happened, nobody really knows how he did it or if it was something his parents managed to do before they died. Probably we will never find out as the only one who could tell us what happened was only fifteen months old at the time. But before Voldemort was defeated, he was winning his war. It would have been a matter of time until he would have taken over Britain.

"You may ask why. Well, imagine the following scenario: There is a really powerful wizard and has a group of followers that he controls through greed, fanaticism and fear. This group isn't even that big, from what has been found out after Voldemort's fall he only had about twenty to thirty members of his Inner Circle his most devoted followers, and about a few thousand in the outer circle. They were up against a population of about fifty to seventy thousand. Now normally no Dark Lord would be able to win against such odds. But he nearly did. His followers as well as he were ruthless. They used the three unforgivable curses, the Imperius, Cruciatus and Avada Kedavra every chance they got."

"By the time the war reached its climax the normal Wizards and Witches were so frightened that they ran instead of standing up against the attackers. It didn't help that important members of society agreed with Voldemort's point of view. They supported him in the ambition to make Purebloods rule their society and acknowledge their superiority over Muggleborns, Half-Bloods and of course Muggles. Fear leads to stupidity. While you may be able to explain things to a single person if you have time and is in a secure environment the person will be able to see reason."

"But under pressure the true personality of a person shows. Either they rise through the problem and come out stronger for it or they break. And if a group is put under pressure it is only a question of time until the weakest of them will break and the others follow. This is why in these lessons I'm hoping to change the way you think, as the Muggle saying goes, _if you don't learn from the past you're doomed to repeat it_, and I'm sure none of you want another Dark Lord like the last one."

"But the big problem that they had in the last war, was that the government did nothing to organize a resistance against Voldemort properly. In the beginning they didn't even realize that there was a problem, as many of the Purebloods were a vital part of the government and thought Voldemort was the solution to the supposed problem of Muggleborns in their society. They got a bad wake up call. When they finally realized that Voldemort was the main problem he had sown the seed of doubt and fear in the hearts of the population.

"He operated from the shadows. He blackmailed who he could and killed those who wouldn't be blackmailed or be controlled by other means. Many of his opponents were members of the Pureblood High Society. This was when most people finally saw the true colours of their supposed saviour. But the breaking into hysteria of the masses was what he was aiming at."

Hermione Granger put her hand up, and when Professor Helling acknowledged her, she asked, "What has this got to do with Goblins Wars?"

"I'm about to get to that Miss Granger," Helling told the young girl, "As I was about to say, what I told you just not happens in Wizarding Societies, but it is the same with Muggles. I tell you this as I believe that Wizards and Muggles aren't that different. Only we have magic and Muggles don't. And because most Muggles don't understand magic they tend to fear it. Like the Wizarding World fear those magical beings, as they can't, or don't want to, understand them, which leads us back to the Goblin Wars.

"The biggest battles, where open hostility between Wizards and Goblins led to massive losses on both sides, were only partly covered up to the Muggles. They suspected something and they reacted with overall tension. It was one of the reasons the open warfare eventually ended. Both sides had too much to lose if the Muggles found out about everything."

From here Professor Helling used the rest of the class to cover some important facts about the Goblin Wars, discussed the reasons behind the battles with his students, gave the most important historical dates and names and opened a discussion what could have been done differently and what lessons the modern wizarding community could learn from the past.

_**o0OoO0o**_

With the History Class done, and having some time before the Flying Class started, Harry, Ember and Hermione went to the library to do some of their homework. Ron and Tony went to their room, to do whatever, as they didn't want to do their homework. As they were doing their homework, a girl with long red plaited hair, going down her back, came walking towards them. She had a chubby face, with a few fuggles around her nose. She was with Hannah Abbott, and another boy, who looked was older than the other two. The young man with them was tall and extremely handsome young man with chiselled features, dark hair, and bright grey eyes, and he was well-built and burly.

As the three came to them, Harry asked the three politely, "Can I help you three?"

"I don't know if you know us, but I'm Susan Bones and this is Hannah Abbott," Susan said with a smile, as Hannah hid behind her shyly, "and I wanted to talk about what you did for us, with the Potion Class."

"If you want to thank me, you don't have to," Harry told them, "I only did it as it was unsafe, and the so called Professor just rubbed me the wrong way. And you are Mr?"

"Oh I'm Cedric Diggory, I've been assigned to look after these two girls," Cedric explained to the three Gryffindor's, "and I would like to thank you too, Snape is one of the worst Professors at Hogwarts."

Hermione looked pained at this, she didn't like the fact that the two of them were disrespecting a Professor, but at the same time, she could argue the fact that from everything she saw and heard about Professor Snape, he wasn't that good of a Professor. But she was brought up to respect teachers, not doing so was hard for her, no matter if the teacher was good at their job or not.

Before she could decide what to say about this, her House Mate, possible friend, Harry asked, "Assigned? What do you mean?"

Cedric said with a smile, "Well every student from third year up is assigned to at least one first year for the first few weeks after the Sorting, to show them around, explain the rules, and explain any useful information, like short cuts to classes seeing they have a short time to get to each class."

"Oh that is useful," Ember said shyly, still not used to talking to others, but she was getting better thanks to Harry, "wish we had someone like that. The only one willing to help us out in Gryffindor is our House Ghost."

"I know what you mean," Cedric said sadly, "from what I can find out, Hufflepuff is the only House at Hogwarts that does this. It would seem the other Houses aren't all that bothered about the first years."

"It would seem you are right, more I find out about Hogwarts more I think I was wrong to come here." Harry sighed to himself, as he shocked the people around him by what he said. But he didn't let them think much about this, as he asked, "So are you here only to thank me for making changes to the Potion Class or is there something else you want?"

"Well we mainly want to thank you," admitted Susan, "but I was asked by my father and Aunt Amelia to thank you as well."

"Oh and why is that?" Harry asked out of curiosity.

"My father is on Board of Governors, and for years he has been trying to get rid of Snape, or force him to teach Potions properly." Susan explained to Harry, "But with Dumbledore and Draco Malfoy's father backing him, my father couldn't get any changes. Dumbledore, my father has no real idea why he is protecting Snape for, there are a few rumours but no real info as to why. Malfoy's father and Snape are old friends, and Mr. Malfoy is also on the Board of Governors, he bullies and blackmails the other Governors to do what he wants. And there's no one who can stop him, not even Dumbledore tries and stop him for whatever reasons."

"Well that explains Draco's attitude," Harry said thoughtfully, "with his father on the Board of Governors, he feels he can do whatever he likes, as his father as money and willing to use that to bribe and blackmail people."

"That's about the sum of it," admitted Susan, "but it gets worse. You see not only is Mr. Malfoy on the Board of Governors, he also has the ear of the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge."

"Damn so people fear Draco's father because of this." Harry said darkly, and seeing that Hermione didn't correct his language, she was thinking the same thing. Mr. Malfoy had too much power, power he would have liked at some point. "And let me guess, our supreme Headmaster, who has his own political power and favours he earned over the years, has done nothing to change this fact, right?"

The three Hufflepuffs looked at me in shock, maybe surprised they were shocked at how I was talking about Dumbledore. He didn't know which, but Cedric said with a sigh, "Sadly that's right, both my father and Susan's aunt, aren't happy about this at all. Madam Bones comes round my house every so often, and a few times they talk about how Dumbledore could use his power to change things but don't. They also don't like "

"I think that Dumbledore wants to keep the status quo among the Purebloods." Harry said thoughtfully to the Hufflepuffs.

"But Harry, the Headmaster would not do that." Hermione stuck up for the Headmaster, not really surprising to be honest. She hadn't been at the end of his meddling, and so didn't have the need to think about Dumbledore in any other light, other than in a good one.

"Hermione, I know you think he is a good man, and maybe he is, maybe he isn't, but let me ask you this," Harry began to tell his House Mate, "if he has this much power as we know he has, why hasn't he done anything with it? Look at the werewolves of this world, they are treated worse than second class citizens, there are laws stopping them doing many things only because they turn into a monster once a month. Professor Dumbledore has this power to change the minds of the young, making them to see that werewolves aren't all bad, and so making their lives in the future better. Hell, with words alone he could change the laws if he wanted, seeing how many people look up to him. But yet he just stands there and does nothing with the power he has. I know you don't want to think about it, but think, with the political power he has, and how much respect people have for him, he can change lives by just using a few words. So tell me, why doesn't he do so?"

For the first time in her life, Hermione was lost for words, not knowing what to say. Whilst she didn't like how Harry was speaking about their Headmaster, he was right, Professor Dumbledore had great power, power that he could use to change the world, but yet he has done nothing to change the way werewolves and other sentient magical creatures are treated. As she thought about it now, there is a saying that comes to mind, _with great power comes great responsibility_, and Dumbledore has the responsibility to make things better for people.

She got to thinking, unless Harry told her this, she would most likely not be thinking like this, as she was taught to respect her elders, which she took seriously. But this leads to another thought, there must be a really good reason for why her Headmaster hasn't done anything to help the Wizarding World as she thought he should do. There was so many questions, and for the first time in her life she didn't know where to find the answers to them. Not only that but her beliefs about respecting her elders and those in authority, were coming into question, and all because of a boy she only knew for a few weeks.

Whilst all this was going through Hermione's head, Harry looked at Susan and asked, "So why would your aunt want to thank me for changing the Potion Class?"

"My aunt is the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Susan explained who her aunt was, "which is a combination of police and justice facilities, and is roughly the equivalent to the Home Office of Muggle Britain or the Department of Justice in the United States. There are many departments that she runs, two of the departments are the Hit Wizards and Aurors, both of which needs Wizards and Witches to have passed their NEWTs in Potions, are at an all time low. But since Snape begun teaching eleven years ago, not only are Hit Wizards and Aurors at an all time low, but the enrolment into jobs that needs Potions have slowly degraded. But she hopes that with the changes you have forced into action, things will get better in the next few years."

Now Harry was kicking himself, he didn't realize that by forcing Snape to teach properly he might be helping the Law Enforcement to gain new people over the next few years. Which means if his plans for the future come to fruit, it would make possible problems for him. But on the other hand though, to be friends with the niece of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and be in good favour of the said Head, could be good for Harry too if he was careful. Right now he was on a double edged sword, where one wrong move could mean doom to Harry's plans and so many problems in the future.

For now though, he would work on Susan and the two people with her, he didn't know if his newly formed plans would work or not, but as they say, _nothing ventured, nothing gained_. So with a warm smile Harry said, "As I said no thanks are needed, I just did what I had to to learn in a safe environment, and the so called Professor rubbed me the wrong way. But I'm glad that what I did has done some good. Anyway, unless you three have something else you want to ask me, and you're not busy, would you like to join us?"

"Sure we have a free period thanks to Professor Quirrell being off ill today." admitted Susan. To Harry, that wasn't a big of a loss, they could learn more by themselves than they could with Quirrell. Cedric too had a free period, but unlike the girls, he had one because he actually had a free period that afternoon. And so until the three Gryffindors, had their Flying Class, they worked on their homework and talked to the three Hufflepuffs.

_**o0OoO0o**_

As Harry, Ember and Hermione got to the inner grounds where the Flying Class was meant to take place, they found Ron and Tony with the rest of the first year Gryffindors who wanting to fly there already. The Slytherins were just arriving, Draco Malfoy looked smirk, as since the notice went up, he kept telling those who would listen how good he was at flying. As Harry looked around, he saw the broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left. Frankly, they sounded like your standard shopping cart from a grocery that'd been around for more than a few years.

Before he could go back to his thoughts their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles. He had to wonder why someone would want to fly on a broom like this.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!' "

"UP!" Everyone shouted.

Harry was shocked to find his broom jumped right into his hand at once, but he saw that it was one of the few that did. Ron's and Draco's were one of the few that did, Tony's, Hermione's and Ember's simply rolled over on the ground, and Harry noticed to his amusement that Neville Longbottom's hadn't moved at all.

From what he heard from some of the older students, brooms, they say that brooms are like some animals out there, they could tell when you were afraid, and if you are afraid of them they wouldn't do as you tell them. Harry noticed that there was a quaver in Neville's voice, one that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground. So he had to wonder why the fool took the class if he didn't like heights? It wasn't like this class was one they had to do unlike the others, this was an optional class.

Walking over to Tony, Ember Hermione and Neville, Neville he would have left alone, but he had a plan that suddenly came to mind. One that would make a point to Neville about family, if he planned out though was another thing, it all depends on what was said next. So with a smile he said, "Guys listen up, I heard from some of the older students that brooms are like animals that you can train." The four of them, and those around them, looked at him strangely so he explained his reasoning. "They are able to sense when their trainers are afraid of them, and so they don't do anything. Try and be more confident."

Nodding, the four of them held their hand out and a bit more confidently, they both said, "Up!" The broom shook for a moment or two before they flew into their hands. His fellow Gryffindor's smiled at him, "Thanks Harry." And seeing that it worked for them, the others around them did the same, and had the same results, although a few had to do it a few more time before they did.

Harry sighed as he got back to his place, it would seem his plan for Neville didn't work out as he hoped, but then again it was a weak plan, so the chances of it working was low. So it wasn't a big of a deal, and it wasn't like it was something important for his main plans. He just wanted to show Neville up, and teach him about what family meant.

Anyway, once everyone got their brooms into their hands, Madam Hooch showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry exchanged smirks with Ron when she had to correct Malfoy twice, who'd been bragging about flying brooms for years.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard." Madam Hooch instructed. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle; three, two-"

Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back, boy!" She shouted, but Harry doubted Neville could hear her over the sound of his own terrified screams and he corkscrewed upwards. It was barely a few second before his grip loosened and he plummeted towards the ground.

A thud and a nasty crack was heard, causing the gathered students to wince. Neville's broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight. Neville himself was unmoving, face down in the grass.

Madam Hooch rushed over to examine him, casting a spell that caused the boy to wake up before she picked him up.

"Broken wrist I suspect." She muttered as she looked him over. "Come on, boy, it's all right, up you get."

She turned to the rest of the class. "None of you are to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter. "Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins joined in, although Harry spotted a few of them in the back keeping to themselves didn't, Harry felt he should keep an eye on these lot. Maybe he could become allies with them, only time will tell.

"Shut up, Malfoy." Snapped Parvati.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" Pansy taunted. "Never thought _you'd_ like fat little cry babies, Parvati."

"Look at what the fool dropped…" Malfoy said with a smirk as his eyes locked on the Remembrall lying on the ground. Harry remembered Longbottom getting it that morning, whilst he was okay in class, Longbottom had a bad memory with a few things, and so his Gran sent him something to help him remember. From what Longbottom told Harry, a Remembrall would grow red if he forgot something, but unlike the old Remembralls that are out there, this one would have a short message as to what he had forgotten… the new Remembralls were made by a Mystic. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's Gran sent him." He was going to have some fun with it and try and bait the Gryffindor's with it, so with luck they would fight him and so he could get them in trouble. All he had to do was grab it and-

Before Malfoy he could even implement his plan, Harry Potter wordlessly picked up the glittery crystal ball and pocketed it. Harry wouldn't normally would have done this, but two things came to mind, one he didn't want to give Malfoy his way, and two this might help him with his old plan with Longbottom, showing him what a family was meant to be like.

Malfoy absently heard Harry give a reply of, "Oh, thanks Malfoy, Neville probably wants this back." As he did so. Malfoy couldn't tell if the boy was mocking him or not, distracted as he was by his scheme shattering before it could even form; he couldn't even accuse the other boy of stealing it. Well, he could, but even he knew that was stupid; he was Harry Potter, and a fellow Gryffindor on top of that, and Gryff's didn't steal from each other, that was more of a Slytherin and sometimes Ravenclaw thing. Draco seethed as his scheme was ruined before it could even happen. How dare Potter interfere like that and walk away like he didn't even know what he'd done!

Harry didn't care if the Remembrall was broken or not, but two things came to mind, one he didn't want to give Malfoy his way, and two this might help him with his his old plan with Longbottom, showing him what a family was meant to be like, and it would look better to return it undamaged. So Harry grabbed it and slipped it into his pocket as the students started gathering into groups and chatting.

They spent the next fifteen to thirty minutes chatting, Harry drifting from group to group, seeing how the students reacted. He only tried a group of Slytherins once, but apparently he picked the wrong group - one that was close to Malfoy, or at least similar beliefs, and was glared at until he left. Speaking of glares, Malfoy himself had spent the entire quarter hour glaring and pouting like a child; Harry had no idea why, and his clueless expression only seemed to set the blond off further.

Harry still couldn't believe that Malfoy had wound up in the House of Cunning. So far from what he'd seen, Malfoy had yet to show any sort of cunning, or even a hint of subtlety. What's worse, if things didn't go his way he would threaten the other person with going to his father. Harry suspected his father was the only reason he hadn't been eaten alive by what was no doubt a very fragile social hierarchy within Slytherin.

Once Madam Hooch returned she informed them that Neville's wrist was broken like she suspected, but he should be fine in a few hours. Harry heard Malfoy mutter that it was a shame, and he'd hoped that it was worse. Whilst on the outside Harry had to suppress the urge to hurt the boy, on the inside he hated to agree with Malfoy. For this he had to suppress the urge chuck a rock at him, for forcing him to agree with him. After she said this, she started the class.

The class went well, Madam Hooch said that Harry was a natural and could be on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team the following year. Harry thanked her for the compliment, but claimed he didn't like flying. Hooch was baffled, but Harry shrugged helplessly and told her that just because he had natural skill (apparently inherited from his dad) it didn't mean he liked the activity. It was a half-truth, really, he loved flying, but after flying on his so long own using a broom felt… uncomfortable? Wrong? Clunky? Just _off_ in general really. He'd have to find time to fly on his own. But he told her he would think about it, which seemed to settle her a bit, happy that he would think about it.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_31st of October: _

It had been about a month and a half since the Flying Class, and things had fallen into a routine for Harry, in the mornings he and Ember would do a few exercises before they did some training in their powers. After which they would get a quick shower in the nearby changing rooms, before going to breakfast and going to class. The classes were getting more advanced, although a few classes like, Transfiguration and Charms, were a bit too slow for Harry. But the Professors would give him extra books to read as long as he helped the other students in learning magic, along with some of the seventh years who wanted to get extra points for their Masteries in the subject they were helping in. Defence was still a joke, and Harry really wished he could hire a personal tutor to teach him, but sadly Quirrell had done nothing to warrant Harry to leave his class.

His other classes kept him interested enough, although Potions wasn't all that fun. Yes it had gotten a lot better, but Snape's hatred for Harry grew because Harry forced the Potion Master to do his job right. So Snape would try and find the smallest of things to dock Harry points, and because Dumbledore was on his side for some strange reason, Harry couldn't do much about it. It was lucky he could make up the points in his other classes.

For outside of his classes, he spent time with Hermione, Ember, Tony, Ron and his new Hufflepuff friends, doing homework, playing chess and other games that they might have, which weren't many. Harry was thinking that when he went home for Christmas he would bring back Muggle games with him, so he would have more things to do in his spare time.

Harry was happy that when he gave Neville's Remembrall back, he was able to make his point across about family to the boy. As when Longbottom asked why Harry would save his Remembrall when the two of them didn't get along, Harry told them that for the next seven years at Hogwarts they are considered family seeing that they were in the same house. And _real _family, no matter how they feel about each other, should always look out for each other, those who don't. They can't be considered family. This made Longbottom look down in shame, as he realized what Harry was getting at, and since then he stayed away from Harry when he could.

Other than that, the only other thing of interest that happened during this time, was Hermione learning a few home truths about his past, and he learnt a few things about her. Until Hermione came to Hogwarts, and still was, she was known as a smart person who believed in figures of authority to always do the right thing, and was a bit bossy when it came to rules and those who would break them. Because of this, she was alienated and eventually scorned by her peers. It hurt her emotionally, and turned into an endlessly repeating cycle, causing the girl to pull deeper and deeper into her shell and blindly following the only people willing to stand up for her; her parents and teachers. That was until she came to Hogwarts, and with the help of Harry, she was slowly coming out of her shell.

Still, her social isolation did have some benefits; namely, Hermione considered herself to be good at examining people. It was a hobby she used to pass time when her parents had a scheduling error in their dental office, or were running late for one reason or another, and she'd be left at school from anywhere between a few minutes up to half an hour - depending on traffic - and she'd read books and talked to her parents about recognizing signs in people, especially kids her own age.

This lead to the problem of her learning about his past, she had overheard her parents talking about a few children being abused and learning the signs of someone being abused. She even read up about this, and even bookmarked these signs in particular, just in case she was in a similar position and could help, like her parents have done at times.

Hermione admitted that she didn't want to admit to it, as although they knew each other for a short while, she consider him a friend, he was smart, although distrusting, he was loyal to those who had his trust, and was easy to talk to. Sure their friendship had its rough moments, but she felt they were closer for it when they made up a few minutes later. Not to say their spats were common, it was just nice to note that almost all of their uncommon arguments usually ended with one of them better for it.

But the signs were there that he is or used to be abused, and so he was either getting over it or was trying to hide the fact he was being abused. She didn't say she was good at reading people as some could, but she had the basics to read someone, but often could get wrong. But for him, Hermione found he was too mature for his age, and she found it hard to read and it took her far longer than it would anybody else to feel confident in her findings; he seemed to be forcing himself to act a certain way, but what his true nature was she couldn't be sure.

She might be very good, but she was confident he was probably a very meek child though, because of the signs she'd seen. He didn't trust adults, like most children would at his age, and whilst he was careful not to show it, but sometimes slip when he thought others weren't watching, he showed that didn't like being touched or hugged, normally flinching when people surprised him. His knee-jerk reaction was to avoid other people before his mask slipped on and he was back to the extrovert he was pretending to be, there was also the physical evidence.

These ones were harder to see, thanks to his skills to be able to change his looks, but there were a few times since that she meet him, that she saw him with a thinner than normal frame for someone his age - which she found strange as she didn't think anyone would want to look like that if they had they the power to look differently. So whilst this was strange, that alone didn't raise any red flags, but when combined with a few scars in places there should be, and the other tells, it lead to an unpleasant picture. Well, that or he was a very unbalanced individual, but she didn't want to think that way about her first friend.

Harry cursed himself, he thought he was being careful not to show his rule body, and not react so badly to people touching him, which he was slowly getting better, but when it happens by surprise he couldn't always hide it. He knew if he didn't deal with this, Hermione might do something foolish like going to the Professors. So he told her some half-truths, that yes in the past he had problems with his relatives, but once he found out that he could do magic and how to control it, he threatened his relatives to leave him alone and so the problems were sorted. And over time he found a few people he trusted and helped him to heal.

Whilst Hermione didn't like what Harry had to do, she could understand his reasons, she too might use her powers to defend herself like Harry did. She was also glad that Harry was able to find those that he could trust, she feared that without people he trusted, things could have been worse than she could think of.

So when Harry asked not to tell anyone about this, she could understand his reasoning, her parents told her that children that are abused don't want others to learn that they were. They were embarrassed that it happened, and think that they were weak and such, it could make things worse if she told someone when the person didn't want her to. So she agreed not to tell anyone, as long as he visited Madam Pomfrey to make sure there was no lasting problems from the past.

Whilst Harry wasn't happy about talking to the Healer, he had to admit Hermione was right about seeing if he had any lasting problems that the Dursleys might have caused. And he was thankful that he did, as he found that he had some minor malnutrition problems, because of his past, and a few broken bones that didn't get fixed in the past, but nothing too bad and with a few potions he would be fine within a few weeks.

When the Healer asked about why he was like this, he told he was a fussy eater when he was younger, and his family had problems feeding him, and he was always getting hurt whilst playing as he liked to play rough. Harry suspected the Healer didn't believe him, but unless he said otherwise, she couldn't do anything about it.

Either way it was the end of October, and whilst the others excited about the day, as not only do they have a feast at the end of it, it was a day to rejoice, as Lord Voldemort was defeated this day and ended a long war. But for Harry, he never really liked it, he was never allowed to go trick or treat, on this day, but stuck in his cupboard. And when he learnt the truth about his parent's death, he hated the day even more, not wanting to celebrate the day. So it was no surprise why he was annoyed with everyone celebrating the day, and not thinking about him and what this day meant to him.

As it was, they were just finishing off their Charms lesson, and as they were leaving, Ron said to Harry and Ember, as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor. "It's no wonder no one can stand her. She's a nightmare, honestly. She hasn't changed at all…"

What Ron was talking about was Hermione Granger, today's class was to levitate a feather. The class was a bit boring, seeing that he could do something like that wandless - something the small Professor knew and which why he had him help a Seventh Year Hufflepuff, who was helping to get his Mastery, to show the rest how it was done. But the problem was Ron, he was having a few problems with the spell, and was getting very annoyed. By the end of the class he was one of a few people who hadn't made any progress, a Gryffindor boy named Seamus Finnigan was the worst, as he kept setting his feather in flames.

But Ron was having problems with his wand movement and pronunciation of the spell, and when he couldn't get it right, be he (Harry) or the Seventh Year Hufflepuff could go to help him, Hermione helped him out, where the offer of help was slapped back at her face as Ron said, "So if you're so damn clever, you do it." Which Hermione did, being the first to do it, making Ron unhappy.

Before he could think more about this, Harry grunted lightly as someone pushed past him, sending him into the wall. He looked up and saw a glimpse of Hermione, her face red and her eyes watery before she turned the corner.

"I think she heard you." Harry commented with a hard look directed at the redhead.

"So?" Ron said, looking uncomfortable at the look in Harry's intense green eyes. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

Harry sighed at this, it had been a month since Hermione confronted him about being abused and starting to use potions to help him heal. (Which seemed to help, as his bones had gotten better and from what Madam Pomfrey told him his immune systems were getting better too, along with a few other health problems.) Thanks to this he and Hermione had grown closer, telling each other about their respective childhoods. Harry held back a lot, but Hermione didn't seem to mind when he'd go silent. Harry had also learned about why she'd been so adamant about helping him; her parents finding the abused child and not being able to help him really affected her. The only problem they had was Ron, he didn't like Hermione that much and would try and pick a fight with her often.

"Ron, Ember and I are her friends!" Harry said heatedly, before he turned to Ember and said softly, "Could you go after her please and make sure she is ok Ember?"

"Of course Harry." Ember said with a smile. Ember, thanks to Harry getting closer Hermione had gotten closer, seemed to get better too. Harry wasn't sure what the two talked about, but although she still claimed to Harry, and relied on him, she had become more confident within herself around others.

"You're the only two then." Ron replied flippantly, unsure of what he'd done wrong. "You know no one likes her because of her bossiness."

"Ron, you might be my best friend but at times you really are a jackass." Harry spat, his true personality making an appearance as his act was strained from the sheer gall that Ron was displaying. "It makes it very difficult to be your friend. Now, I want you to apologize to Hermione when we see her in class."

"But -" Ron began, but before he could say more Harry interrupted. "No buts Ron, until you say you're sorry, don't bother talking to me or Ember again. Because until you say you're sorry to Hermione, our friendship is at an end."

_**o0OoO0o**_

It was now the end of the day, and Harry and the rest of the school were heading off to the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast. Harry was a bit worried about Hermione, since the first class, Harry hadn't seen either her nor Ember, not even for the afternoon class. The only thing that stopped Harry fully worrying about Hermione was that Ember was with her. So he could go down to the Feast with peace of mind.

As he went down to the Great Hall with Aneira, he was a bit upset, whilst the teachers knew about his familiar, the Headmaster forbid her going to classes with him. As he said that the Tigran would be a distraction, and should stay in the dorm rooms during class time. Which made bonding with his familiar difficult, the only times he could be with her was in the mornings and after classes. Because of this, Aneira wasn't as strong as she would be should they spent all the time together as they should have.

So whenever the two got together, Aneira would stay as close to Harry as possible, even hissing at anyone who dares get close to them during this time, even at Ember and Hermione. But the two understood the reason, and gave the Tigran the time she needed with her Master. It has only been the last week that Aneira was okay with others being near her Master, and stopped hissing at people, and giving them dagger looks, when they came close. Although, the three had to agree that she did look a bit ill, and so Harry was going to take her to see a vet at Christmas to make sure nothing is wrong with her.

On his way down to the Great Hall for the feast, Harry overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom on the second floor and wanted to be left alone - but young Ember wouldn't leave her until she decided to come down or return to the dorms. Whilst this made Harry a bit more relaxed, knowing everything was ok, he however had to frown as he saw Ron, on the other end of the small group of Gryffindor's making their way into the Great Hall, was completely unaffected by the news, showing no signs of regret.

As they entered the Great Hall, the students saw thousands of live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. It wasn't long before the feast started, as the food suddenly appeared on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.

But as Harry was helping himself to some baked potato, Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know."

He then sank to the floor in a dead faint. To Harry something felt off about his actions, but his immediate thoughts quickly moved elsewhere, namely, his two follow Gryffindor friends who could be in possible danger.

It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence. "Prefects, lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!" He instructed, sounding surprisingly commanding for a normally so eccentric man. Although Harry did find this stupid, he didn't know how it took Quirrell to get here from the dungeons, all he knew the troll could be outside the doors, or going up the stairs, any of them could be in danger as soon as they left the Great Hall. What is worse, _two _of the Houses had their dorms down in the dungeons, what kind of person would send children down there knowing the dangers that might be down there?

Percy was in his element. "Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the Troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!" As the first year Gryffindors got together and followed Percy, Harry stared at the older boy in blank amusement. Did he really think orders and organization would keep them safe if a Troll happened to find them? Harry wondered why Percy was made a Prefect, from what he had seen so far, he was a stuck up son of a bitch, who was drunk with power, and didn't think about the real danger that is going on.

Regardless, he followed the ginger Prefect. "How could a Troll even get in?" Harry wondered to himself as he climbed the stairs.

"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid. Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke?" Ron said, apparently having forgotten about the no talking rule.

"No, that's not it." Harry said as he shook his head at his friend's ability to jump to conclusions about people. "Peeves may be many things, but he wouldn't put a student's life in danger."

Harry suddenly jerked as he remembered what he'd realized earlier before Percy made him lose his train of thought. "Hermione, Ember; they don't know about the Troll." Harry said worriedly.

"Who cares." Ron shrugged carelessly, "I'm not going to risk my life for someone I don't like or don't know. If you want to save them, be my guest, but I'm not helping."

Harry didn't say anything, but the glare he gave Ron caused the boy to trip over his feet. When he stood back up, Harry was gone, the raven haired boy had blended with the Hufflepuffs that were passing them and then slipped down a deserted side corridor and hurried off to use the shortcuts that lead to the girls' bathroom on the second floor. Harry had just turned the corner when he heard quick footsteps behind him.

Already on high alert, Harry hid behind a large stone Griffin. Peering around it Harry saw Snape. The man's gait was hurried, and he quickly disappeared from view behind the next corner.

"What's he doing? Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?" Harry whispered to himself. Quietly as possible, he crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps.

"He's heading for the third floor." Harry muttered to himself, wondering what the ass of a teacher was doing. But then he smelt something awful; it was a foul stench that reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seemed to clean.

And then he heard it; a low grunting and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. As Harry looked down to the end of a passage to the left, something huge moved toward him. He shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.

It was a horrible sight. At least twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, pointy feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.

The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.

Harry was about to dash off to the girls bathroom where Hermione and Ember were reported to be when he froze as he realized the room the Troll had just entered WAS the girls bathroom. In the same moment, he heard a high pitched scream of fright echo down the halls from the room the Troll had lumbered into.

Harry didn't know how he got to the room so quickly, but he launched himself around the doorway an instant later at a full sprint, only to pause as he saw the Troll with its club hitting Ember's gravity shield, that was protecting the two girls. Without a thought he flicked his wrists and hurled two balls of flame at the creature's hand and face.

Whilst Harry might be magically powerful, incredibly so; seeing he was meant to be Voldemort's equal, because of Fate's little games with the mortals, started with a prophesy of all things this time, could be fulfilled, it didn't mean he had the full power yet. Yes he had trained over the years and was more skilled and more powerful than others, but nature had its way to make sure that a human being didn't overload themselves, so whilst powerful, Harry hadn't got his full power yet.

So the problem becomes with the Troll's hide, which was resistant to magic, but only to a certain degree. The two bursts of fire hit the Trolls right cheek and left hand with a crackling sizzle as the flesh boiled, the magical fire almost ignoring the resistance it met, but not all of it. This made the Troll angrier, causing it to start swinging its club around in anger, destroying the bathroom some more in the process but not harming either of the first years. Seeing this, Harry knew that he had to do something or three of them could be hurt from the debris that was flying about. And so running towards the girls, he summoned a power fire bubble, and the debris was burnt away.

"Ember take Hermione and leave," Harry told his friend, as he used his requip magic and summoned two magical swords that his Sword Master, Syrio Forel, got him, "I'll distract him long enough for you two to leave and I'll follow."

Whilst she didn't like the idea of leaving her friend behind, she knew that he wouldn't suggest this if he had a better plan. So as Harry lowered his fire bubble, he crashed towards the Troll, attacking it with his swords. This give her the time to lower her own bubble and made a run to the doorway, and watched helplessly as hers and Hermione's friend distracted the Troll so they could escape.

With Harry though, he wasn't having much luck, although he was able to make slight cuts into the Troll's skin, all he was doing was making it annoyed. Not wanting to risk much more, he jumped back and resummoned his swords. At this point he clapped his hands together and summoned fire balls in each hand, where he combined both of the fireballs and sent the combined strength towards the Troll's club hand. This time the Troll screamed in pain and dropped the club as the more powerful bolt of fire did far more damage to not just the skin, but also the muscle beneath.

Trolls had a very simple mentality, almost animalistic, and like all animals its first reaction to seeing its hand being lit on fire and being burned was 'Fire Bad!' before trying to get away from it. The next reaction was to find the source of the fire and get rid of it in one way or another.

As the long armed creature turned to look for the source, the Troll quickly spotted Harry, and its instinctive reaction to fire increased as it saw that Harry's hands were covered in flame. It made a run towards the human boy, but a pipe from the stall that it had destroyed earlier, got under its foot and, and not paying attention enough to notice it, the Troll fell over backwards.

Harry grinned in a way that was just a few inches to the left of sane as a shot of adrenaline poured into him. His sense of sanity left him. He hadn't felt this excited in _ages_, not since he'd committed his last arson and had almost been caught almost a full year ago. His vision was tunnelled as he focused completely on the Troll and he sprinted forward when it fell. Not missing a beat Harry ran up the creature's arm, and putting all his power into a ball of heat growing a condensing in his right palm as he did so. His legs bent and he pushed off of the Troll's massive shoulder, the muscle acting almost like a trampoline.

Time seemed to slow as the Troll's eyes rolled down from where they'd been looking confusedly at the ceiling and saw Harry, or rather, the miniature sun he held in his hand. The beast had barely a moment to utter a shocked, 'Rada?' before the orb was slammed into its nose.

An ear-splitting explosion filled the room, alerting the Professors three corridors away.

Back inside of the bathroom, Harry rolled to a stop, the back of his head hitting the stone wall with a hard thud, where an incredibly wide eyed Hermione and Ember ran back into the bathroom to make sure the boy who saved them was alright. The two girls brain locking up as they tried to handle everything that had just happened. It was probably for the best, if they were in their right mind, they would have heard the unhinged, breathless little giggles, that Harry was releasing as he eyed what remained of the Troll before he broke out into a full blown cackle, but only for a few seconds before he doubled over and started coughing. He'd landed hard on his back, slightly to the side, and his torso burned.

Harry's breath hitched as he tried to sit up higher against the wall. His attention was taken from the pain in his chest and the charred, headless remains of the mountain Troll as Professors Flitwick, McGonagall, Snape - who Harry noticed had a limp - and Dumbledore entered the room, only to freeze as they saw the corpse… or the smell had hit them, Harry wasn't quite sure.

"Mr Potter, Miss. Granger, Miss. Veil, what is going on here!" The Lion's Head of House was the first to get over the shock.

Harry grimaced as he forced himself into a standing position. Hermione tried to answer, but her reply of, "It… he… bwah?" Didn't help much, so Harry took over.

With a boyish grin that he couldn't keep off his face he 'explained'. "Well Professors, as you know Hermione and Ember weren't at any of our classes this afternoon seeing that someone upset Hermione, and Ember was with her to make sure she was okay. When I heard from their roommates where they were, I was planning to find them after the Feast if they didn't show up, but when we heard about the Troll I went looking for her."

"Why didn't you tell one of the Professors or Prefects about her?" Snape asked with a sneer, "Trying to get more attention for yourself I bet, just like your father."

"Oh no sir I wasn't, I thought that seeing that the Troll was in the dungeons, or so as Professor Quirrell told everyone, I thought there was very little risk of facing the beast so I went after my friends. How was I supposed to know that the Troll would come up here?" Harry answered, his voice getting more airy as he spoke, his eyes losing some focus as they wandered, seemingly unable to focus on one thing for long.

Snape grunted, taken off guard by the boy's strange behaviour and almost whimsical speech pattern.

"Now, now, don't be grumpy, I'm sure whatever caused that limp of yours in on the third floor is probably very sorry it had to taste your pale arse." Harry giggled at his joke while Snape fumed, trying to ignore the other Professors suppressing chuckles of their own but also giving him a suspicious looks too. "Found 'Mione and Em in the bathroom, place was smashed to pieces and the Troll was about to attack her. Then stuff happened and here we are." He accounted cheerfully.

Snape ground his teeth and glared impotently at the rapidly nonsensical child, but Dumbledore pushed the man back. The eccentric Headmaster seemed to find it humorous, because his tone held some amusement as he inquired, "_Stuff_? Don't hold us in suspense my boy, tell us more."

"Oh very well…" Harry ceded magnanimously, trying to be careful what he said, "I entered the bathroom when the Troll had its club attacking Ember's gravity bubble, and I froze a bit in shock, as I was worried my friend would be killed. Lost control of my magic, as the Troll's hand caught fire and he backed away, it got angry and started to swing its club, lost control again and some more fire appeared around the Trolls hand again. The brute dropped its club this time, so I guess it hurt it more. I calmed down a little, just a little, enough to realize the Troll had committed a very grave offence, and very much needed to die. Had to use lot of my power to defend myself, because its head just… exploded. Kpch!" Harry pantomimed an explosion, starting with his fists clenched in front of him before quickly splaying his fingers. He gave a little giggle at his own actions before wincing and moaning, his head lolling to the side. He reached back to feel the back of his head, only to have it come back red.

Flitwick was quick to explain Harry's behaviour. "His magic is depleted; magical exhaustion can make people, hmm… loopy at times. He also has a head injury, so he must have a concussion which doesn't help things, we need to get him to Poppy now."

Dumbledore nodded absently, more focused on Harry's declaration. The twinkle in his eyes dimmed as he declared gravely, "My boy, nothing _deserves_ to die. One mustn't be so flippant about the taking of life."

"That's where we differ in opin… opininy… moral thingies, I guess. Friends are important to me, gotta keep 'em alive; anything that threatens 'em gets to die; simple." Harry said decisively, his voice slurring lightly as his eyes closed. His breathe hitched and his eyes shot back open as Hermione, his words sinking in and snapping her out of her comatose state, slammed into his side, her arms wrapping around his torso tight enough to take the air from his lungs.

"We'll talk later. Miss. Granger, Miss. Veil. And Mr. Potter is in no condition to walk on his own, can you two support him so we can get you three to the infirmary to make sure you are all okay?" McGonagall butted in.

Hermione and Ember nodded into Harry's chest, Harry heard Hermione shaky but determined whisper of, "Always."

Harry smiled, far too out of it to even begin to think about what she'd meant and started walking as she and Ember lead him somewhere, mostly leaning on them. Whilst Ember was okay, Hermione had trouble, but voiced none of it as she followed the Hogwarts Staff, ignoring Harry as he started blaming Ron for everything, and not just getting them both in this situation, but also for completely unrelated things, like why it was so cold in the castle, why it rained so much, and why Quidditch made no bloody sense.

_**TO BE CONTINUED!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the seventh part of The Blood Stone Saga, I would like to thank you for reading it, and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. The History class was taken from Forging Destiny by White Angel of Auralon, which I altered a bit to fit my needs, I would like to thank White Angel of Auralon for allowing me to use this part of his story.

I would love to hear any ideas and suggestions you might have. If you don't like the story… don't bother about leaving a hate review… as it doesn't affect me or how I will be writing in the future. Then I'm not interested. If you feel that there needs to be a little improvement, then please point that out to me and any suggestions on how to make the story better. I'm also after ideas for what should happen in the first year, so I hope you'll help me out there.

If you think you can make the story better, and you have time to do so, then let me know and I'll see what you can do in the next chapter. So you know I use Google Doc to write my work, so if you want to help, you need to be able to use Google Doc too. I'm after someone who can add things to the story to make it better, not just spelling and grammar.

I do have an important question to the story, I'm thinking about adding Tonks to Harry's group, and I was wondering about your thoughts about it. But I was wondering what you lot think, and ask how I should do it. I was thinking about having Tonks in her sixth and seventh year, and have Harry meet up with her as he explores the castle. But I would like to ask what you think.

I hope you like how I have added Cedric Diggory, Susan Bones, and Hannah Abbot from Hufflepuff, I am now working on trying to add Su Li from Ravenclaw. So if you got any ideas, I would like to hear them…

I have thought long and hard about Tonks, and I've decided that Harry'll meet her whilst she is at Hogwarts, a fifth year Hufflepuff. I know many of you would like it for him to meet her out of Hogwarts, but the problem is that at the moment, he has no reason to meet her nor know about her at the moment. It is easier to have him to meet her at Hogwarts, so that's what I'm going to do.

One last thing, for the new things I need, I'm after a name for a tech item that would keep track of money and other things within the Underground Club, would like ideas of things it could keep track of, and that could block magic. I mentioned this item a few chapters back, but had no name for it. So I hope you can help me with it, as I need it by the next chapter is done - but nothing stupid please.

If possible, I would like to hear any other ideas as to what this item could do, think of it like a tablet, that has many apps on it. What magical apps should this item have, and what can the apps do. I hope you can help me out here.

_**I'm still looking for ideas for pranks, and I hope you can help with this as I'm wanting a few magical and non-magical ones. Please help me out here, as I'm after some ideas and would like to use some of them soon. I'm now looking for a prank that the Weasley Twins could pull on Harry first, as it'll start off a prank war between the three of them, any ideas please let me know.**_

_**I'm still after ideas of how Harry could turn his friends Dark and joining him, instead of using Confundus Charm. Any and all ideas are welcomed.**_

_**I was wondering, how would you feel if I brought the three Slytherins who befriend Harry in his second year sooner, within the first year? If you like the idea I'll do it, if not I'll leave it until second year.**_

_**I'm still after ideas for how to make this harder for Harry, be it with his underground club, his everyday life and such. So I would like to ask you what sort of problems should Harry run into now? I love to hear what you lot may come up with.**_

Just a reminder, if I get a flame review and they are guests and aren't helpful I'll be removing them. But if they point out a problem that needs to be fixed, or ideas that I could use to make the story better I'll keep them. I'm not against flame reviews, but only if they are helpful and help me to become a better writer. Otherwise I don't want to know about them. Please consider this when reviewing, as I don't want you to waste your time or mine in useless flame reviews that if not going to be helpful aren't going to be seen.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story.

_**Next on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ In the next chapter we have the Grand Opening of the new underground club of Harry's, along with Christmas, and a few other things like finding about Nicolas Flamel. Other than the Grand Opening, I'm going to highlight the things that happens in the next chapter, unless it is important to the story, in which case I'm going put it in detail. I'm hoping that next chapter and the chapter after that will be the last ones for the Blood Stone Saga, so wish me luck.


	16. Chapter 14 - The Blood Stone: Part 8

_**Author's Note:**_ I say this, I know many of you won't like the first part of the story, but I think it is important, as it shows that Harry doesn't always get his way. This will be one of these times that part of Harry's plans doesn't go the way he wants. I hope you like it…

_**Chapter Fourteen... **_

_**The Blood Stone - Part 8!**_

_**(Grand Opening of The Abyss…)**_

_23rd of December - Merlin's Station:_

It had been nearly two months since Harry killed the Mountain Troll, where he gained fifty points for Gryffindor. But it cost him in more ways than one. The first way wasn't as bad as the other ways, being only a minor concussion, a cracked rib, and magical exhaustion. This had forced him to stay in the Hospital Wing, to make sure he both recovered okay and to make sure he didn't use any magic. At least until his reserves had replenished.

The others cost him in ways he had hoped he could have avoided. The first way he knew would come out sooner or later, but was hoping to be much later, years from now preferably. This was the reveal of some more of his powers, whilst they didn't know all of his powers, it was the main power that he had hoped to keep secret as long as possible. That is of him being a Fire Mystic. And there was nothing Harry could do to hide this.

Dumbledore was investigating what happened with the Troll, he wanted to know how a first year could have killed the Troll. From what Hermione told him, and Ember being forced to back up, the Headmaster learnt about Harry's fire abilities. Thankfully they didn't mention anything about his sword magic skills, for which Harry was grateful, although he would have preferred if this came out rather than his fire abilities. Because the two girls remembered this small detail, Harry was forced to admit that he was a Fire Mystic, as well as a Shapeshifter.

During the Headmaster investigation, which took place while Harry and the two girls were in the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore told Harry how disappointed that he was that Harry had not found another way to deal with the Troll instead of killing the poor creature. The Headmaster preached, that all life is important and should not be taken as easy as Harry had. Harry admitted that he had nightmares killing the creature and might have for a long time. This was true, but on the other hand, this was his first kill and so he would have nightmares for a time. He wasn't after all a Sociopath or a homicidal maniac, or something like that.

But the investigation did give Harry a good opportunity to strike back at the Headmaster. Whilst he might have been forced to reveal his fire abilities, he could turn the Troll incident around on Dumbledore. In front of the girls, he asked the old Headmaster how a Troll could have entered the school in the first place. As he had read in Hogwarts: A History, that there were wards around Hogwarts that prevented dangerous creatures from coming onto Hogwarts grounds, more or less into the castle itself. Not only that, should the wards fall, the Headmaster would have known long before Quirrell informed them, that something dangerous was in the castle, as there was a Warning Ward for just the reason. Not only that but why did he send at least two of the Houses back to their Dorms, when he knew that their dorms were in the dungeons - it was like he knew that the Troll wasn't in the dungeons anymore.

And the last question Harry asked was why did the Troll go to that bathroom in particular. Where Hermione and Ember just so happened to be. There were many rooms from the dungeons to the second floor. It didn't make much sense, as there shouldn't have been any time by Quirrell informing them about the Troll to the time Harry got to the girls for the Troll to get to the girls. It was like the Troll knew that the girls would be there, and went straight to them, skipping every last room to get there.

Whilst Dumbledore was trying to talk himself out of this dilemma, saying it was a bad set of coincidence and he would look into them and see what he could find out about the answers. It had the effect that Harry was hoping for. The questions were logical, ones that Hermione couldn't deny, and it made her rethink some of her beliefs in authority. If someone like Dumbledore could not protect her, or lie about what really was going on, it meant that others in authority could do the same.

Up until now, she wanted to deny that fact, despite what her parents had tried to tell her before. Her world as she knew it was based on the fact that authority was right. And although they had reason to keep things from the public, they could do no wrong. But with her life being in danger, and the Headmaster of Hogwarts being unable to answer the simple logical questions from her friend, she didn't know what to think. All she knew at the moment was that the only ones she could trust at the moment other than her family were Harry and Ember, as they were there for her when she needed them. They after all had risked their lives to protect hers. Which went a long way in gaining her trust. A trust that she would do whatever she could to show, and prove that their trust in her was not mistaken.

Now the last and most likely the worse of the outcomes of the Troll incident were the rumours. Whilst many of the rumours painted Harry as a storybook hero for something he'd actually done for once; helped along by a hesitant Hermione telling her roommates of what happened after she left the Hospital Wing; Lavender had found the story incredibly romantic and had told it to everyone in her budding gossip network, there were some that made him out like a Dark Lord in training. As there was no way a first year with no real training could have done such a thing as kill a fully grown Mountain Troll. The only way he could have done it was if he had performed some Dark Rituals to make himself stronger, or learnt some obscure Dark Magic.

Whilst they might not know the truth that he was thinking about becoming a Dark Lord, the fact was he hadn't yet done any Dark Rituals, or learnt any Dark Magic yet. But whatever the case the damage was done. While the rumours would be forgotten over time, the seeds of doubt were planted and depending on other rumours in the futures to water it, it'll grow and become stronger, making Harry's plans more difficult. As people would be watching carefully to see what he did.

The fact was it had already happened, for during the week following of Harry's killing of the Troll, the Headmaster wanted to know what else Harry could do with his fire abilities. Harry had to inform him of a few things to get the old man off his back, sadly one of them was his fire teleportation skill. Sure he could have not said anything, but it helped his future plans.

After some talks, Harry was able to convince the Headmaster to allow him to use his fire teleportation to return home at the weekends, after the Christmas Holidays, so he could keep up his own Muggle Studies. He wanted to keep up the studies there so that he could pass his Muggle Education. It wasn't something the Headmaster was happy about, but thanks to some lucky bylaws, he wasn't able to do much about it but allow Harry to do so.

But his Muggle Education was just part of the reason he would be going back at the weekend, this would allow him to make appearances as Mavrick, so people wouldn't ask any unwanted questions. For Harry knew that if Mavrick was gone for too long, people would begin to wonder what was going on and ask questions that Harry didn't have the patience to answer.

But still, with the rumours of him being a Dark Lord in training, people had begun to watch him more, mainly the Headmaster, but there were a few other students that were keeping an eye on him as well. It didn't help matters that Quirrell had a lesson while he was in the Hospital Wing. The stuttering fool just had to teach about Trolls and how hard they are to defeat. This fueled the rumours, and made it harder for him.

He was glad that his true friends, Hermione. Ember and his new Hufflepuff friends were by his side, and knew what Harry was like. The side Harry allowed them to see that is, and so defended Harry when people talked badly against their friend.

Since the attack of the Troll, both girls seemed to become quite clingy, Hermione more than Ember, as many of her beliefs had been shaken. Added in the fact that she was still getting over being attacked by a Troll probably didn't help any there. Hermione informed Harry that Ron was serving a detention for a week, and was forced to apologize to her. But Hermione told him that his apology wasn't at all convincing, but she knew that was the best she was going to get, and that while the friendship had taken a serious blow, he was still Harry's friend, so she accepted it.

His stay within the Hospital Wing, wasn't wasted though, as Harry accidentally stumbled upon a new skill. After a few days laying in bed he was completely bored out of his mind. He had nothing to do and was wondering what Madam Pomfrey was saying to herself in her office. Suddenly, the candle she was using next to the parchment she was writing on flickered violently before settling down. In the same instant he could hear what she was saying. It was warped at first, the matron's voice warbled and the volume fluctuated heavily, but Harry concentrated harder and listened to her dictate the day's events to herself. What she was saying was rather ordinary, just dictation of the day's events for her journal.

It took a few moments before Harry realized he was hearing Madam Pomfrey by the flame in her office. After thinking this over Harry was thoroughly excited about the new ability. The potential for spying was quite high. Especially in the magical world where candles and torches were everywhere. But less useful back in the rest of the world where electricity was used for lighting.

Before long Harry was out of the Hospital Wing, and getting back to school work. During one visit with Hagrid, Harry, Hermione, Ember and the two Hufflepuff girls learned something about the third floor corridor. It would seem that Harry's gut feeling that the package that the Half-Giant got from Gringotts, the same object that someone tried to steal but didn't as it wasn't in the vault at the time, was now at Hogwarts.

Thanks to Hagrid, who let the information slip, they knew that the object belonged to someone named Nicholas Flamel. They also learned that the object was protected by a Cerberus, by the name of Fluffy. Now the kids found this strange and wondered why Hagrid named the beast Fluffy. Thanks to yet another slip from Hagrid, there were other things protecting the object. The protections were from the four Head of Houses and Quirrell. Whilst the other four didn't think much of Quirrell helping to protect whatever was on the third corridor, seeing that he was a Defence Professor, even a bad one, but Harry did. Quirrell until this year was a Muggle Studies Professor, with no real training in Defence. So he had to wonder why Quirrell was helping to protect whatever was on the third corridor. The other four, and even Hagrid he could understand just not Quirrell. The Heads of the houses were masters in their subjects, and so understandable, and Hagrid was a master in the subject of magical creatures.

So whilst the others suspected Snape was up to something, seeing he was injured by the Cerberus, Harry suspected something was wrong with Quirrell helping. Harry didn't know what it was, but he was going to keep an eye on Quirrell and see what happens.

Once Harry left the Hospital Wing, things went back into routine, school work, or doing homework - or in Harry's and Ember's case training. During this time, Ron had somehow managed to worm his way back into Harry's growing social circle. Harry wasn't one to forgive, nor forget, easily though, and kept a closer eye on Ron's actions. And as time passed, he and his friend's found their study schedule increasing, something not many people were happy about, not even him - as nothing really interesting was to be learnt.

When they had the time Harry, Hermione, Ember and his Hufflepuff friends, were trying to find out who Nicolas Flamel was and what the object was. As they searched most of them had a feeling that they had heard or read about the man before but for the life of them they couldn't remember where. They had to stop their search when the school broke up for the Christmas Holidays.

Another thing that happened to Harry during this time, was that he made three new friends. The first was Katie Bell, a second year Gryffindor, who was on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team as a Chaser. She learnt that Harry didn't know or understand anything about Quidditch, so she took it upon herself to teach Harry, and try and persuade him to join the House Team next year once she saw how good he was at flying. She even dragged him to their first Quidditch game to show him what it was like. Honestly Harry found it a bit boring, as he was able to find the Snitch within ten minutes of the game. Harry would have told the girl where to go, but he found her cute, and let her be for now.

The other two new friends were twins, in fact they were Ron's brothers Fred and George, the grand pranksters of Hogwarts. They were the fun loving fools, who loved pulling pranks on people, and Harry was no different. The only reason the twins haven't done anything to him like they had with the others, was that they hadn't gotten around to him yet. And by now Harry was onto their game, and so they had to up their game to catch Harry out.

It ended up happening one evening over supper. Harry was understandably a bit distracted between his search for Nicholas Flamel and his growing irritation at Quirrell's poor teaching. He had just taken a bite out of a piece of treacle tart when he noticed from the corner of his eye one of the twins watching him far too closely and grinning in triumph. He felt a strange feeling rush through his body. It was hard to describe until Ember, who had been sitting beside him, bumped into him causing them both to be hit by a static shock. Harry's already unruly hair started to stand on end looking to all in the hall as if the boy had a large black Afro. Sadly this didn't wear off till early the next morning.

Harry got back at the twins, by pulling his own pranks on them, in doing so introducing them to Muggle pranks. Most of the pranks Harry pulled on them had very little to no magic added to them, as he knew the twins might have found them before it was time. One of his pranks was an old one, but a classic, when the twins were in the shower, he swapped their shampoo with a potion shampoo which caused their hair to became emerald green and silver like the Slytherin colours. The potion made it so that nothing they could do would get rid of it for a long time, by the winter holidays, their hair was still green and silver. Oddly enough the twins took the prank in stride just vowing to get back at Harry once more thus sparking the first of many prank wars between the trio. Sadly for their friends they were caught in the middle of the war and more often than not fell victim to the pranks as well. That was until Ember made use of her growing gravity powers to suspend the pranksters upside down for an hour. Which showed her growing confidence that she gained from being around Harry.

With so much of his time being taken up, with school work, pranking, training and exploring Hogwarts, Harry wasn't able to think much about his darker goals. In fact, he enjoyed being a normal child; he had friends, he was doing well in school - and more importantly he was proud of this fact. Since he was living up to his mother's reputation - and had no reason to become an evil being at this time.

That didn't mean that he wanted to give up being Maverick. Being Maverick gave him another sort of freedom where being normal didn't. Being a normal child meant he could have friends, pull pranks and not worry about the law. But being Maverick give him the time to let the Darker Side of him out, but without being full out evil. So he was happy with how things were coming along, and would see what the future holds before deciding what path to take.

Before Harry knew it, it was time for the Christmas holidays. No one could blame him for losing track of time; what with his training, school work and being with his friends.

Not only that he was taking care of Aneira, as she didn't seem to be in great health and so Harry was going to Diagon Alley, to see if he could find a vet to see what was wrong with her. Even though Hedwig and Aneira didn't get along, Hedwig also seemed to worry about the feline.

Anyway, it was the morning of the twenty-third of December, that the students that were going home for the holidays. Two of the students that were going home, were Harry and Hermione. Harry would have stayed with Ember, but he wanted to make sure Aneira was ok, and he had his new club to open. But he did say he would return on Saturday night and spend Sunday with her, and after that he would come back every other afternoon to see her.

So here he was, late afternoon at Merlin's Station, where he and Hermione were going down the long corridor to get to one of the cafes that were located here. Unlike the last time he was here, Harry had more time to look round, and found it interesting place. Just like King Cross, Merlin's Station had many shops, many of them were run by Mystics that sold many of their items in them.

In one of the cafes, Hermione spotted her parents, and with a smile she ran up to them and gave them a hug, as she greeted them. As she pulled back from her parents, she said, "Mum, Dad, this is my friend Harry Potter, Harry this is my parents, Doctor Emmaline and Daniel Granger."

As Harry looked at the two more closely, he saw that Hermione's father was tall muscular man with short brown hair with a bit of grey in it, his blue eyes scanning the crowd for his daughter and their summer guest. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. Hermione's mother was… well to put simply an older sexy version of Hermione. It seemed where Harry was supposedly a clone of his father, Hermione was the same with her mother. If Harry didn't know any better, he'd say the woman was in her early twenties.

"Nice to meet you Harry." Emmaline said with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you too Mrs. Granger." Harry said with a smile, "I can see Hermione takes after you, gorgeous."

Both the female Granger's blushed at this, with Hermione saying embarrassment, "Harry!"

"What, it's true." Harry waved his hands in front of him to ward off her swats with a grin, remembering what Syrio Forel said about women, and how flirting with a woman was not only was fun, but sometimes make them look the other way if you do something wrong, which is why he often did so. Because sometimes as the First Sword of Braavos, he sometimes got into trouble with the fairer sex, and flirting before or after getting into trouble got him out of it too.

"You're handsome yourself young man." Emmaline complimented. Harry could have easily been mistaken, due to his inexperience, but there seemed to be more than just playful teasing in her tone. He decided he would put that info away to use later on if his hunch was correct.

"Thank you Mrs. Granger, but I wasn't always like this." He evaded humbly, "If it wasn't for good friends that I have, I'd still look like a skinny runt. As Hermione might have written to you about." Harry surmised, as he remembered he and Hermione talking, and how before confronting him, she wrote to her parents about it.

Emmaline and Daniel both nodded, accepting him not wanting to talk about it further easily. "Oh, and please call me Emma, Mrs. Granger makes me feel old, and I never liked being called Emmaline." Emma said with a smile.

"Well, I wouldn't want to do that, you look anything but old," Harry returned charmingly. "You could easily pass for Hermione's older sister."

"Why you." Emma blushed.

"I hope you're not trying to hit on my wife young man." Daniel interjected with an amused smile. The elder Granger was surprised at the boy's behaviour, from what he'd gathered and been told about his childhood Harry shouldn't exactly be a social butterfly. Then again, Dan admitted to himself, from what his daughter told him about the boy, he had good friends back where he lived and knew how to defend himself. Sure he was worried about the boy, as he knew that kids that have been abused don't always turn out right. He knew that Hermione wanted to stay with them for the summer so that he wouldn't have to deal with his family, but he and his wife wanted to meet him before deciding. So far what he had seen, he would like to see more of before deciding if his daughter could be near the boy.

"Oh no sir, I'm only telling the truth." Harry answered, bringing the man out of his thoughts. "You're a lucky man to have two gorgeous women in your life Mr. Granger."

Daniel laughed happily; the lad was making quite the first impression. His comments could have been mistaken as ass-kissing, but he sounded genuine with his compliments. "Please call me Daniel, or Dan, I would prefer the latter because I'm more comfortable with it but it's your choice. I spent enough time around my father when he worked that I keep thinking people mean him." He admitted with a smile, turning his gaze towards his wife and daughter his expression turned proud. "And yes I'm a very lucky man. Anyway, I'm sorry if I sound rude, but we have to go, as we need to do some shopping before we head home. Do you need a lift home, or are your aunt and uncle going to pick you up?" Dan asked in interest, the truth was he wanted to meet Harry's aunt and uncle for himself, and see if he could find out more about them and Harry if possible.

"Thank you sir, but I am fine," Harry admitted to Hermione's father, "I wanted to make sure that Hermione met up with you two before I leave. I'm making my own way home, so I bid you three good afternoon, and I'll see you again in two weeks." And with that he used his fire abilities to teleport himself away.

"Did you know he could do that honey?" Emma asked her daughter.

"No I didn't." Hermione admitted, but made a mental note to ask Harry about this when she saw him next. And with that the three Grangers left the station to head off to do some shopping before heading home.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_24th of December - The Abyss:_

It was the afternoon before Christmas, and Harry in his Maverick form, was being shown about the Abyss. It had been a day since he got back from Hogwarts and it felt somewhat strange being back here as Maverick. Although he had been at Hogwarts for a few months, it seemed like he had been there longer.

When he returned to Privet Drive, he informed the Dursleys that he had returned, something that they weren't happy about. Harry told them that he wasn't either, but until he was able to get free from those who was watching him and trying to control him, he would have to come back here during the holidays. But that didn't mean that he would be sleeping there all the time, only every so often to make those who was watching him believe he still thought of the place as his home.

He spent last night there, and this morning spent the day shopping to get a few gifts for his friends at Hogwarts, and at the club. Whilst he was at Diagon Alley, Harry went to Magical Menagerie to see where he could take Aneira to be looked at. Where he found out not only was it a shop that sold animals, but a world class veterinarian. Here the store owner informed him that the reason that Aneira was ill, was because she was dying due to the bond between the two of them not growing strong enough to sustain Aneira. The store owner was unhappy at Harry for not keeping his familiar close by, so the bond could be formed as it should be. That was the case until Harry told the veterinarian the reason for why he couldn't keep his familiar as close as he should.

Upon hearing this, the veterinarian was way beyond pissed at Albus Dumbledore, as he knew more than anyone else how important it was to keep master and familiar as close as possible for the first year or so. So the owner made a Floo Call to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where once they done a few tests to make sure that Aneira was Harry's familiar, they gave a document ordering Harry to have Aneira at all times for at least the next year, as much as possible. Anyone making it so that Harry and Aneira were apart, would be fined and should Harry's familiar die, would go to Azkaban. As it was a great crime to interfere with bonding a familiar and master. But seeing who it was, it would be hard to convict Albus Dumbledore. Seeing that the man didn't want to ruin his image, he would follow the order to let Aneira be near Harry as much as possible.

Once he had finished his shopping, he visited the Asylum to meet up with Charlotte, Blink and Bowser. There they began to inform Harry about the book keepings and staffing at The Asylum. Once they had completed that, they explained that they would be happy for when The Abyss opened. As they had to turn many people away several times over the last few months, as there wasn't the room for them all. They also informed Harry that they were more than happy when the Abyss was open as theft and cheating were still a problem and the item that Harry had the Goblins create would help to stop it.

Once they dealt with the final talks about how well Asylum had done in its last few months, and how they would be closing it down for good the next day. After Harry shifted into Maverick they visited the new site of The Abyss. The first stop was to the new Reception Chamber, it was much bigger than the original Reception Chamber, and apart from the Reception Desk, there were also four Cashier Counters for people to get their chips among a few new features that Maverick and the girls had planned for the Abyss.

Once Maverick saw the new Reception Chamber, they headed into the Abyss, where the first thing Maverick noticed was at the entrance were two men like Hagrid, where Maverick's suspicions about his oaf of a friend were realized. These men were Half-Giants. Maverick learned the half Giants had founded a small colony, where they hid from the rest of the world, and very few knew about them.

Maverick learned that Half-Giants were hated by most humans and Giants, humans because of their Giant blood, as by their nature, they're like trolls... they just like killing. And whilst not as dumb as trolls, they aren't that smart. And Giants hate and look down on Half-Giants due to their inferior sizes, as it is a Giant's pride to give birth to large children. And they consider Half-Giants as weak, and useless, and often they kill them at birth. Unless something happens to stop this. Maverick also learned that most Half-Giants are magical, as their parents are often magical to have them, and they had resistance to most magic.

Because of their strength, resistance to most magic and able to do magic, Bowser hired them to be the guards for the Abyss. So that if anyone _was _able to use magic after wearing Maverick's magical dampeners, the Half-Giants would deal with them with ease.

Maverick thought this was a great idea, other than him, Charlotte, Blink and Bowser, these Half-Giants wouldn't wear the bracelets. They would be ideal for protecting his club.

Once Maverick meet with the new security, his friends and partners showed him around the Abyss. Maverick saw this place a few times before he left for Hogwarts, but it seemed that it had gotten bigger since he left. The hotel was now bigger, and they created smaller hotels around the place, but these small ones are for sleeping at, if the clients want the girls and other fun stuff, they would need to go to the main hotel. The hotels were run by the homeless, like before, as Bowser and Charlotte explained, they were cheap to use, and giving them a place to stay with food, drink and some money, the homeless wouldn't think of turning him in.

They then as they were showing Maverick the casinos, and restaurants, Maverick asked about the staff, "So what is the deal with the dealers, the bar staff and the other staff for the restaurants."

"At the moment we have enough staff for now," explained Charlotte, as she looked through the books she had on her, "but should we need more, we go with your plan, and use those who owe us to work in the areas we need them."

"That's good, let me know if you need anything else and I'll arrange it with the Goblins." Maverick told the girls and Bowser with a smile, "So what about your plans for setting up homes for the girls, so they have somewhere to go during the mornings, or when they aren't working?"

"Better than planned," Charlotte admitted excited about it all, "got a few places set up about a mile from here in another set of underground tunnels. I've also began to set up a few shops for the ladies to use when they aren't working, and for the younger girls I've started up a school for them too."

"That's great." Maverick spoke with a smile, whilst he might not be all good, the best way to keep soldiers or people on your good side, was to give them what they need, and in doing so they would follow you anywhere. In this case it was to give the young girls working nights some schooling. In doing so it would give them a chance out of the game and in better jobs. With luck these jobs could be something that could help Harry in the future, and because he was the one to appear to help the girls, they would want to repay him and so help him in somehow within the job. But there was something on Maverick's mind and so asked, "What about the teachers that are teaching them, can we trust them?"

"I believe so yes," Charlotte said thoughtfully, "we got teachers who wouldn't dare betray us. As they are prohibited to be near anyone under the age of eighteen, for one reason or another, mainly misconduct against their students."

Maverick knew what Charlotte meant by misconduct against their students meant, but this only made him worry more and so had to ask, "But how can you know these teachers won't hurt the girls?"

"We have made a few deals with them, one being if they hurt the girls we would show proof they are not only teaching children when they aren't meant to, but also that they have been having sex with them again." this came from Blink, "So they would be arrested, and jailed for a very long time."

"And should they mention you to get some time off the sentence, I know a few people who'll deal with them inside whatever prison they go to." Bowser added with a dark smirk, "They won't be killed, as it would be too fast, but they'll be wishing for death if they say anything. So you see, none of them would want that so the kids will be safe."

"That's good…" Maverick sighed, relieved that there would be no needless deaths, "so what about the other areas at the Abyss?"

And so for the rest of the afternoon, the main thing that caught Maverick attention was the Fighting Pits, as instead of having one, there were now six different Pits. With tables and chairs around them, so that people could watch the fights clearly, there were also Viewing Lacrimas for those who didn't want to get close to the fights in the bars. All in all it was better than Maverick ever hoped for, not only that, but anyone would be allowed to fight to show off their skills.

The last interesting thing that Maverick saw was the control room, it was something the Goblins, Blink and Charlotte had come up with. They got the idea after the Goblins had requested a place to set up the new computers they would need. They ended up setting up this control room, which would allow them to not only keep the date, but keep an eye on The Abyss and send people in the right places quickly.

Maverick was shocked to learn that the person who would be looking after the control room was a Cyborg Mystic, by chance, funny enough, was also called Cyborg - although he didn't give his real name. A Cyborg Mystic was just as it sound like, someone who looked like a cyborg and had control of technology and able to use it as they see fit. Cyborg was a black fifteen year old homeless boy, with metal plating on his top right side of his face, and his left arm up to his shoulder was robotic, along with his right leg that came just above his knee.

It would seem that some teens who were children of group of Witch Hunters known as the Paladins, wanted to make a name for themselves. So when they found out about Cyborg, they took him to a new medical research technology lab that was being built at the time, and started to _beat the magic out of_ Cyborg. At first the gang broke Cyborg's legs, arms and a few other parts of his body, and badly scared Cyborg's face, but the leader got over exaggerate. He stubbed Cyborg's eyes, and cut off part of Cyborg's left arm and right leg. The leader's friends had to pull him off Cyborg, so he wouldn't kill the freak, and so they left the Magic User to die in the building.

What they didn't know was that once they left, Cyborg's magic begun to act to save the young boy. Seeing how much danger Cyborg was in, brain damage, parts of his body being cut off, his magic had to use what was around Cyborg to save him. Luckily for Cyborg he was in an area that had a lot of advanced technology, and so his magic used the advanced technology to fix its user.

To begin with Cyborg's magic stopped the bleeding, so it could deal with the main problem, the brain damage. The magic had more or less created a new brain for its user. One that'll be much better than his old one. Not only would he now have a better memory, but he would be able to interact with technology in ways people could only dream of. Once the main problem of the brain was sorted out, Cyborg's magic could deal with the other problems.

Next was the bones. Finding the bones that were broken, Cyborg's magic had to heal them but it feared that they might break again and so had to do something so that it wouldn't be so easy in the future. So it searched for the strongest metal in the area, and found titanium, which it fused into Cyborg's bones once fixed. Than healed the rest of the damage within Cyborg's body.

First was the internal problems, the lungs and kidneys that were damaged because of the beating that Cyborg had. Cyborg's magic improved the damaged not only his lungs and kidneys after they were fixed, but it made them into cybernetic organs, so that its user can live longer and use it longer than other Magic Users.

Once Cyborg's magic dealt with the internal problems, it began to fix the rest of Cyborg's body. The first thing that it did was to fix Cyborg's eyes. It was lucky that the medical research technology lab was almost finished, and that they were starting to being in the stock, and finishing a few parts of the building.

One of the things that were stocked into one of the rooms, were fake eyes and tiny non-magical creatures nanobots. Cyborg's magic used the nanobots and alter them to make them magical, fused them into its user, so that should he be attacked, they would heal the damage. Not only that, but they would alter to fit the Cyborg's needs as he grew older. As for the eyes, Cyborg's magic used the tech around the place to make them real and alter them so that over time and training they would become better and more useful, like the nanobots in him now.

Then with the titanium that was in the area, Cyborg's magic created a new arm and leg for its user, using the nanobots to allow Cyborg to move. Not only that but Cyborg's magic used some titanium for a small faceplate on right side of his face, as it was badly damaged and scarred, and by now Cyborg's magic used a lot of its energy to fix its user up and plating the right side up was easier to do than fully healing the face. With that done, and with most of its energy depleted, Cyborg's magic went dormant so it could recharge itself.

But when Cyborg came too though, he felt weak and found himself tied down to a medical bed as doctors were doing tests on him. Not only what was going on, called the doctors to see what was going on, but they said nothing and carried on until a scientist asked Cyborg what happened and how he became the way he was. Confused Cyborg admitted being in beaten up and left for dead, where he blacked out and had no idea what the scientist was talking about.

This is where the scientist showed Cyborg what happened to him, where in his shock and horror saw his new arm and leg, and his faceplate. Told the scientist he didn't know what happened, he asked to be let go, but the scientist wouldn't and for the next few months the scientist and other scientists begun to research on him to see what he could do.

After the third month though, Cyborg regained enough strength that he decided it was time to escape. Over the last few months he began to realize what happened to him, he knew he had magic, and suspected that it made him this way to save him. He wasn't sure if he preferred to be dead or not because of what happened to him, but seeing he was alive he wasn't going to allow himself to die. And over the last few months he learnt a few things that the scientists didn't know about.

Over the last few months the scientists found out that Cyborg had super strength, and from what Cyborg told them had a much better memory, and better memory recall. They even found out that Cyborg had some control over some technology, either control to a small agree, and download any sort of energy, data, matter, etc. they want from anywhere. They also learned that Cyborg could shape and manipulate it to make something else.

But Cyborg kept one or two skills to himself, so that he could plan his escape, one such skill was how he could manipulate the images from the recording security cameras, so they he could become _invisible _on the camera and make it so they see another thing altogether. Another skill he found he could do, was turn his new hand into keys and other everyday tools, and suspected if push comes to shove, he suspected he could turn his arm into a weapon.

So one day when Cyborg knew there was little stuff at where he was around, he made his mistake, using his new powers to do so. And over the following years, he gained a few new skills as he tried to hide from not only the scientists, who wanted to experiment on him, but from the Witch Hunters who wanted to use/kill him. He changed his name from what it used to be to Cyborg, and lived on the streets so not to be noticed.

It wasn't until about a month ago when Charlotte Brown bumped into him, who offered him not only a safe place to live, but a job and make friends like him. He knew after what he learnt he would be a fool to deny the offer, sure he would be working for some kind of mafia boss, but after everything he been through, it was better to work there. It wasn't like there was anything better out there waiting for him, and this Maverick character seemed to be a decent character who cared for those who work for him, so he would wait and see what would happen.

Back with Maverick though, once he learnt about Cyborg, he could see huge potential within the Cyborg Mystic, and how he could fit into his plans for not only for the club, but his future plans too. He would have to keep an eye on the teen, so he would have to wait and see what the future holds and go from there.

After taking the tour around the Abyss, they went to get something to eat, where they talked about the Grand Opening the next day.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_Later that day - Harry's/Maverick's Personal Training Area:_

"You're dead boy…" Syrio Forel the First Sword of Braavos told Harry two hours after the tour around the Abyss, where Harry was training with Syrio. "What's wrong with you today boy? We've been training for half an hour today and I've already killed you five times. Have you even been training whilst you were at that school of yours?"

"Of course I have!" Harry snapped at his insinuation. "I know what you think of time wasters."

"So what is wrong with you boy?" Syrio asked in concern, "You're better than this, you only die twice by now not five times. And don't tell me that you have things on your mind, as you know my thoughts about that."

"Yes I should leave my troubles outside of battle, as should I bring them into a fight, it'll only make more trouble within the fight." Harry summarized what his Sword Master told him before.

"That is right, so tell me what is troubling you that you would bring your troubles into training?" Syrio asked his student, "Either you tell me or we forget it all. I can't train someone who can't leave his troubles behind whilst we are training."

Harry was in two minds about telling the First Sword of Braavos about what happened, but on the other hand he needed to talk to someone. The nightmares weren't getting any better, and as someone who had killed before Syrio Forel might be able to help him. It wasn't like he had anything to lose. So with a sigh he said, "On the night of the All Hallows' Eve, I killed a Troll to protect my friends, but yet I have nightmares about it. Although I am fine training by myself, when I am facing you, all I see and feel and the events of that night."

"Damn your first kill, I wasn't hoping to face that for a while longer," Syrio admitted darkly, "I wanted to build you up to it so this wouldn't happen. Did anyone by the chance talk to you about it?"

"No they did not," Harry admitted in a dark torn, "I told the Headmaster that I was having nightmares, but he done nothing about it. I believe he wants me to be afraid of killing again for some reason, and doesn't want me to talk to about it."

"The damn fool," muttered the Sword Master, "there's other ways to stop people from killing, but for someone who has killed for the first time, they need to be talked to, as most often kill themselves in guilt of killing someone or thing. Let's start this off, tell me what happened that night."

And so Harry told Syrio about what happened that night, he hid nothing, and by the time he finished, the First Sword of Braavos sighed as he said, "This is why I wanted to wait before your first kill, so that your adrenaline and emotion wouldn't control your actions, and so you would be emotionally ready for the kill."

"I didn't mean for the death to happen, I was trying to keep the Troll busy until the girls were out but the thrill and the adrenaline of the fight got to me, I hadn't felt something like that for a while and I lost control." Harry admitted to his Sword Master, "But now I'm paying for it with these damn nightmares."

"It happens to the best of us, I was lucky to have a good Master to train me, and I was training you more or less the same way as he trained me." Syrio told Harry, "That's why I was hoping to get to your first kill slowly, as you know, being trained as a Swordsman means that one day you may have to kill. You would be lucky if you don't, but the risks are there. Tell me are you afraid to die or to kill again? Do you pray to any Gods?"

"To be honest I don't believe in the Gods," Harry admitted to the Sword Master, "if there were any gods, why would they let the bad things happen to us. I understand that we have free will and that, but there's a few things that if there was a God that they could stop. Not only would it give hope and make people believe in them, but it would mean less death and unhappiness in the world. And yes part of me _is _afraid to die and kill again, but I know I will need to kill again sometime in the future, which is why I'm talking to you."

"Sadly I know what you mean about the Gods, if there were any around they should be around to help with the major events to show that they are about. To not only give people hope, but also belief in the Gods." Syrio admitted to Harry, before he went on to say, "Harry I have one philosophy about the Gods, and that is there is only one true God, and that's the God of Death. He doesn't judge us, or care about good or the evil that people do, he will not care how they die at least, he only cares about one thing and one thing only, Death."

"I'll admit, getting over killing for the first time will take time, but as long as you have your friends with you, you'll be fine, just don't keep it to yourself. It might take a while before you kill again if ever, but remember this a saying I have, when you are facing Death in the eye, say to yourself: Not today!"

"What do you mean 'not today' Master?" Harry asked as he wondered what his master was talking about.

"Not today, as in you won't be dying that day and you'll fight with everything you got not to die that day," the First Sword of Braavos, "and should you die, you meet him with a smile, knowing that you have done everything in your power to deny Death his prize. You. I think for today, we talk and do a few mental exercises to help you should you need to kill again before you are ready."

So for the next few hours before Harry flamed to Hogwarts to be awake for the morning to see Ember, they talked about the kill of the Troll and about the kills Syrio made. By the end of the night, although Harry was still a bit uneasy about it, he felt a bit better and was able to go to sleep a bit easier. In fact he didn't have a nightmare that night. One of the few times he didn't.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_25th of December - Hogwarts:_

It was Christmas morning, and for the first time in a long time, he was having a lay in. But that lasted for only a few more moments before he was rudely shaken by Ron.

"Harry, Harry, wake up mate." Ron said cheerfully.

Harry glared hot death at the redhead, half lidded and sleepy eyes boring into the other boy and he growled, "Ron I'm going to smother you with a pillow if you don't tell me why the bloody hell you're waking me up." Harry usually woke up earlier than the rest of his dorm mates for training, which that wasn't saying much considering who they were, but he was a person who deeply loved his sleep when he was able to get it. Anybody who disturbed him before his body was ready to wake up by itself did so at their own peril.

Ron, either too excited or too stupid to realize his life was in very real danger, continued jumping up and down. "It's Christmas Harry! Presents! Presents!" He yelled.

Harry felt his eyes twitch, the cheek muscle under his eye trembling completely on its own. That did it; forget about doing things in the shadows, he was going to take over the world using the bloodiest means possible so this kind of cheer would never again wake him up. Yes… that was a perfect plan.

Thankfully for the first year male Gryffindor's, the potential multiple-homicide was averted when Harry grunted, rolled over, and fell back asleep, completely forgetting about his plans of mass genocide against people with too much holiday spirit.

Ron pouted, but was far too distracted by the thought of presents to bother trying to wake his best mate up a second time. Presents!

It was about noon by the time Harry awoke, and he was happy to see that Ron wasn't in the room_. 'Most likely down in the Great Hall for lunch.' _Harry thought as he looked at the time and shook his head in disgust. Harry often wondered why he kept up with Ron with the way he acts often. _'God forbid the bottomless pit misses a meal.'_

As he got dressed, he was shocked to see a small pile of gifts at the end of the bed. To be honest, Harry wasn't expecting gifts from those at Hogwarts, seeing that they couldn't get out to get them. He was suspecting them when the term started again. As he opened the first gift, he saw it was from Ron, it was a box of Chocolate Frogs. However, as Harry opened the box, he was disgusted to see that a few of the Frogs were missing, _'The fucking pig, I hope he choked on them.' _Harry thought darkly.

The next gift was from Molly Weasley, prompting feelings of confusion and he'd never met Ron's mother before, so why was she was already sending him gifts? Harry wondered what the hell was going on. As he opened the gift - he had no idea why he didn't throw it away - he found it had a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge inside it. There was a note saying that Ron told them that he didn't expect any gifts for Christmas.

Although Harry suspected Ron was trying to be nice and that, he was still angry that Ron would tell people that he wasn't going to get gifts when Ron knew he had friends here in Hogwarts and out of Hogwarts, so he set the gift aside in disgust; he would be having words with Ron about this soon. But not today, it was Christmas and he didn't want the trouble. And so he began to open the rest of the gifts that he got.

The next gift was wrapped in thick brown paper with the words 'To Harry, from Hagrid' scrawled across it. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Harry blew it - it sounded a bit like an owl. Harry was grateful for the gift, he and Hermione had spent some time with the giant of a man and apart for liking dangerous animals and cooking awful food he was an okay sort of a man.

The rest of the gifts contained candy; box of Chocolate Frogs and pumpkin cakes from his friends, he smiled at the gifts. He'd purchased the three Puffs, Tony, the twins and Katie some Chocolate Frogs, Ember a book about the Wizarding World to help her get to know the world she was now in, and Hermione a book voucher for Flourish and Blotts with an enclosed note saying that Hedwig had agreed to help her purchase the books.

Harry picked the last gift and weighed it. It was very light and felt like some kind of cloth, so he unwrapped it.

Something fluid and silvery grey went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. A note landed on his foot, so he picked it up and read it: _Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well. A Very Merry Christmas to you._

There was no signature. With a shrug he picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into cloth. Harry realized this was a cloak, but not just any cloak. It was one that his father once owned. Putting it on he walked over to the mirror and was shocked when he saw his reflection; only it wasn't his fully body he saw in the mirror, it was just his head, seemingly floating in mid-air. He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely.

If he didn't already have the ability to become invisible himself, he would be more apprehensive about the gift. Still, he was grateful for the gift none the less, not for what it was, but because it belonged to his father. Seeing as he didn't want anyone else to know about it, Harry put it back in his trunk before he went down for lunch.

Now since nobody that had sent him gifts were currently at Hogwarts, other than Ember and Ron, and seeing as he hadn't managed to corner Ron to talk to him, Harry spent the afternoon with Ember and Aneira relaxing. It wasn't until after dinner that day that Harry thought back about his father's cloak and the message that came with it, the three words in the note specifically; 'Use it well'.

He could have kicked himself as he thought about it, all this time he was able to become invisible himself, and he never used it to go to one place that he and Hermione hadn't looked for Nicholas Flamel: The Restricted Section of the school library. And all it took for him to think of it was his father's cloak - he felt somewhat foolish for not thinking of it sooner.

Wanting to see how good his father's cloak worked, instead of becoming invisible himself, Harry used the cloak and went down to the Restricted Section to look for Nicholas Flamel. As he was making his way to the library, he used a shortcut when he came across a sixth year Slytherin student by the name of Matthew Alvin, he was one the people that the Weasley Twins pranked often. At the moment he had a young witch with the robes of a Hufflepuff, against the wall and as Harry passed without sound, vanished the girl's robes.

Now normally Harry would have walked passed as if nothing had happened, until he heard Alvin say to the girl, "Now, now Tonks, don't struggle, we both can have some fun here."

"Fuck off Alvin!" the girl Tonks spit in Alvin's face.

"You bitch," Alvin slapped Tonks around the face as, he then groped Tonks' breasts, as he said, "you're going to make your breasts bigger, and I'll have some fun with you."

This caught Harry's interest, it would seem that this girl was either a Shapeshifter like him, or she was a Metamorphmagus that he heard about. If she was a Shapeshifter or a Metamorphmagus it didn't matter, what mattered was that she could change her looks, and if he could turn her, she would be very useful. So making sure that they didn't spot him, he turned the corner and removed his cloak.

But as he came round again to _save _the girl, he saw her making her breasts bigger, and as she did Alvin began to relax a bit and begun to grope Tonks breasts. Harry found this a foolish move, to relax and let go of your grip. Because just like Alvin found out, it gives the opponent a chance to act and kick him in the balls - which Harry winced at - and Tonks began hexing the fool.

She only cast three hexes at the fool, before Harry got near her. Once he got near her, she was putting her robes back on, as she was doing so, Harry asked, "Umm, are you okay ma'am?"

"It's Tonks and yes I'm fine," Tonks said as she finished putting her robes on, "can't say he'll be okay."

Harry could help to smirk at that as he said, "You're right about that Tonks. So do you have another name other than Tonks?"

"If you don't want to end up like him kid, you'll only call me Tonks," Tonks warned the Boy-Who-Lived, as she pointed her wand at his manhood, "I hate my name and other than my parents and the professors, mainly the Headmaster, no one calls me by my first name unless they want to get hexed. I don't care if you are the Boy-Who-Lived, should you learn my first name and use it, you too will get hexed."

The way she talked, Harry could believe it, and with the fire in her eyes, Harry knew he needed to try and get her on his side somehow. "I understand, and I won't use it should I learn it." Harry told her, but to himself he added, _'for now.'_ He went on to say, "Listen, when I came here, I think I heard that bastard say something about you changing your boobs? Is that right?"

"What of it!?" Tonks asked darkly as her wand begun to grow dangerly. She had kept the wand pointed firmly at Harry's cock. She didn't think that a eleven year old would be after that kind of thing just yet, but she knew anything is possible, and she didn't want to be used like Alvin tried to.

"Ha, ha, it's nothing like that Tonks, you have my word on that." Harry held up his hands in defence, he didn't like someone pointing a wand at his _'wand.'_ If it was anyone else, he might have said a few words, or send a fireball at the person doing so, but he wanted her help and trying to have her side with him. And attacking her from the get go, would be a bad idea. "No, what I want to know is if you were a Shapeshifter or a Metamorphmagus? I know you are at least one of them."

"And why would you want to know kid?" Tonks asked in wonder, as she lowered her wand.

"Because I am a Shapeshifter and I was hoping you could help me in training my abilities." Harry told her, as he begun to _shift _his body to look like a sixteen year old Harry Potter.

'_Damn, if he wasn't really eleven year old I would take him, here and now in fact.' _Tonks thought to herself lustfully as she saw a sexy sixteen year old Harry Potter, with a body of an athlete including a six pack. In fact as she kept looking at the body, her own body was willing to forget his age and act her desires anyway.

Shaking her head off these lustful thoughts, she went on to say to keep herself from acting on her desires, she asked, "By the looks of it you are doing very well without any help."

"Whilst that might be true, and I have been training on it, I do have two problems I need help with." Harry admitted to the Metamorphmagus, "The first is that I can't hold my form in a fight for a long time, after a while I begin to change back in my original form."

This was true and why he had Warchief and Dante, so that should a fight break out and took longer than needed, he could escape before his body _shift _back in his original form - something he and the others didn't want to happen. The longest Harry could fight in one form, is about ten to fifteen minutes, less if he had to use some of his more powerful attacks.

Tonks could understand this, she too had problems fighting in a different form for a while, after some training, she was able to do so. But it took years to do, so she could understand the Boy-Who-Lived wanting help, as some things one could not learn by themselves - they could but it would take longer to do so.

"The other reason I need you help is that I need help in changing sex." Harry admitted to Tonks as she was thinking about his first reason.

"_What!?"_ Tonks hissed as she raised at Harry's family jewels, something Harry was really getting pissed off with, and if he didn't need Tonks, he would have reacted by now. "And why the hell would you want to learn to transform into a girl you perverted bastard?"

"It's nothing like that I swear," Harry told Tonks, well it wasn't fully like that, part of him might have thought something like that, but it wasn't his main reason, "I want to know so if I need to I could turn into a girl should I need to escape." Tonks give a look that told him that she didn't believe him, so he went on to say, "Listen I know it is hard to believe, but until recently I never thought about changing into a girl before, as I never had a reason to. But I realize that if I was in trouble, I could _shift _my body into a girl, and they would be looking for a male, and not a female."

Tonks had to admit that is a thoughtful idea, most people when they know the person is some kind of Shapeshifter, they would be looking for someone of the same sex. But if a Shapeshifter or a Metamorphmagus, could transform into the other sex, which she could, they would never suspect to look for a female you. So with a sigh she said, "I might be able to help you to get better in fighting in another form, but as for changing into another sex, I need to think about that."

"I can agree with that," Harry said with a smile, he wasn't getting everything he would like, but at least he got something, "I can't start training until after the holidays as I'm busy, afterwards I can come up with a training plan to fit our needs if that's ok with you."

"That's fine, I need to find a few of my old books anyway, so it'll give me time to find them." Tonks admitted, and with that the two bid their goodbyes, and left. Leaving the unconscious Alvin where he was.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_Later on at The Asylum:_

It was a few hours later, and Harry as Maverick was in the centre of Asylum, where all his employees and patrons were waiting for him. Before he got there he was able to get into the library, where it had a few students still doing their homework before curfew. Harry's luck of not being discovered held until he got into the Restricted Section, because as he tried to open one of the books, that book, along with the rest of the books on that shelf screamed, as if they knew someone was there that wasn't meant to be there.

Before Harry could do anything, the school librarian, Madam Irma Pince, and the students there, came to look what was going on. Madam Pince went into the Restricted Section, and looked around to see who was in there that shouldn't be. This meant that Harry had to move carefully out of the Restricted Section, and the library, so not to get caught by anyone. Even once out of the library, he had to be careful not to get caught by the students

He could have Jumped or Flamed away, but he wasn't sure if the old fool of the Headmaster of Hogwarts, had wards informing him of such things. On the way back to the tower to get Aneira before returning to The Asylum for the night, he met a few students and professors, making it hard to remove his cloak. But as he walked down one corridor, it was full of students and two professors he didn't want there: McGonagall and Snape, who were talking about who could have been in the Restricted Section. It would seem that Madam Pince informed them about someone being in the Restricted Section.

With them there, and not enough room to easily to hide, he had to put his back against what he thought was an alcove, and hope not to get caught. Lucky for him though, Harry wasn't about to lean against an alcove wall, but a doorway that was partly open and so he fell into one of the many empty rooms of Hogwarts.

The two professors saw the door open, quickly looking around and found nothing, they muttered that it was one of the strange going ons at Hogwarts that they were used to, or some prank that the Weasley Twins were trying to pull. Either way they closed the door and carried on walking to the library.

Harry sighed in relief that he wasn't caught, and decided he would wait here for a bit before leaving the room he was in. He then looked around to see where he was, to see if there's anything of interest. The room looked like it was abandoned, the only thing of interest was a large bronze mirror, with strange lettering at the top of the mirror: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_.

Gibberish, really. That thought triggered something and Harry's brain suddenly made a connection between mirrors and gibberish and he remembered reading about how ambulances had the word Ambulance backwards on the front so people in front of them could read it when they looked behind them using their rear-view mirror. Without looking through a mirror, the word 'ecnalubmA' printed on the front just looked like gibberish.

With that in mind it was easy to figure out that the letters said '_I show not your face but your heart's desirE_'. Thoroughly curious as to what his heart's desire was, Harry looked into the mirror. On the mirror's surface he saw himself, his family - including his imaginary twin - and behind them were a few more people; none of which he recognized. Harry suspected they were other family members that he wasn't aware of. They were standing in the middle of The Abyss, not as Maverick but as an older and stronger himself, with the bodies of those who were against him lying about, some were even on fire. In the mirror, Harry saw Lucy dancing around the bodies laughing as she did so. Whilst Charlotte, Blink, Bowser, Syrio and to his surprise Ember was standing behind him.

Harry was intrigued by the mirror, he always wondered what his heart desires was, and this mirror showed it to him. Powerful and strong, the leader of The Abyss, with those he trusted the most behind him, he could stay there looking at his desire for a long time. But he had the Abyss to open, so he left and went to get to Aneira before leaving the grounds to get to Asylum, soon he would return to see more of the image.

Now here he was, facing all his employees and patrons, who were wondering why all of them were gathered together, so in his Maverick form, he said, "Greetings everyone, most of you know of me by word of mouth or seen me about in the club, for those who don't, I am Maverick and I've been running this club for the last few years. Now many of you are wondering why all of you are gathered here today, well the reason is to inform you that from this day forth, The Asylum will be closed."

This got a lot of whispers from this, giving them a few moments to take the news in, Maverick went on to say, "This is because I'm opening a new club, some of which you might heard rumours about, called The Abyss." Here many were shocked to hear this, as they won't suspecting a new club to be opened from him so soon, as he just opened The Asylum a few years ago and normally it would be many years later before someone like him would open another.

"I know many of you are shocked to hear this, but this was always the plan," Maverick explained to the group, "I only opened The Asylum to get the money to open The Abyss. As it'll be much bigger than Asylum, what you see here is nothing compared to Abyss. More bars, more hotels and such, not only that, but it'll now be much safer, which is why it took so long to open."

"What do you mean?" someone called from the crowd.

"As many of you know, at Asylum there have been people who started fights, cheated at the games and stole from you. But I have solved that problem, as with the help of the Goblins we created The Sphinx." Here Maverick pulled out a small leather bracelet, with a four inch by eight-inch screen. "With this you'll no longer have to carry money with you, as from the Reception Chamber, which has also been reformed, you use The Sphinx to put your money onto it, which will stop the theft that has been going on in Asylum.

"Not only will The Sphinx keep track of your money, but it'll keep track of other things too." Maverick told them, "Like your wins and losses, where you are, so you can find where you want to go. You also use The Sphinx to pay for everything, seeing that no money will be allowed in The Abyss, so you better have put enough money you want to use on The Sphinx, or you'll soon find yourself in debt to The Abyss. Should that happen and you can't pay the debt off within a time frame I set or fail in the payment system we work together, you'll learn how much The Abyss is like its namesake. So you have been warned."

"What about stopping the fights and the cheating?" someone called out, as the whispers began about what Maverick told them.

"The Sphinx," Maverick replied simply, "they'll block _all _formsof magic."

"What!?" "You bastard, I won't have this!" came a few of the angry replies. Some of them started to leave.

"If you want to be cheated and beaten on, no one is stopping you to leave, you know where the exit is." Maverick told them plainly, which stopped most of them, "The Sphinx's are there for your protection so that no cheating or magical fights can happen. But if you want to leave, you are more than welcome back another time, as long as you're willing to wear the Sphinx."

There were a few angry whispers, as they whispered about what they should do, leave or stay. But someone who seemed to be okay with The Sphinx's called out and asked, "Whilst you might be able to stop the magical cheating and fighting, what stops the non-magical cheating and fighting? And who says you won't use magic to cheat us?"

"As for non-magical cheating, we'll keep an eye out for it, and if we see it happen we deal with it. But it'll help me if you find any cheating going, you inform Pit Boss Bowser as soon as you learn about it, so he can deal with it." Maverick told them with a smile, "And as for us using magic to cheat you, it won't be possible, as the employees too will wear one, so that they can't cheat you, and only will be allowed to use magic should there br a fight going on that they need to break up."

"Why should we believe you won't cheat us?" someone called out.

"Whilst I might be the most law abiding citizen, and I lie, cheat and such, I setup this place with honour, so that I can make money." Maverick explained honestly, "Think about it, should I have my employees cheat you and you learn about it, you'll leave the place, taking your money with you. Why would I allow that to happen, I created this place to get your money, if I allow my people to cheat you, or allow you to get hurt, you would leave and that means I don't get the money. So it makes sense to do everything I can to make sure you don't leave, so no one other than me, my enforcers and my security are allowed to use magic."

There were a few whispers here once again, and someone called out to ask, "What about the non-magical fighting?"

"If there's any fighting at all, or any other problems that the floor staff can't handle, my new security will deal with it." Maverick said with a smirk, before he said as his smirk went bigger, "I think on that note allow me to introduce the new security for The Abyss."

And with that six half-giants walked into the area with security gear on, and walked behind Maverick, who said with a smile, "If there's any problems that my staff can't handle, these gentlemen well deal with it. So you know, that for some time I would give a blind eye to drug deals within the place, but now that stops. I only allowed this as I didn't have the means to stop it, but now with the opening of The Abyss and these gentlemen, I have. So this is your only warning, should I see any of you dealing in drugs, you'll be dealt with, so you have been warned. But the same rule applies, I don't care about if you are light or dark, good or evil, as long as you keep your beliefs at the door, you are welcome here." Maverick explained to the group, rather than showing off some of his Earth Abilities he went on to say, "But if you cause any problems, then I'll personally show you why this place is called The Abyss. So once again you have been warned, is that understood?"

Here in fear, all the people agreed, "Good, one last bit of news before I sort out my office, if by chance you have place tracking charms here, and you have been waiting, I say you undo them." Maverick explained with an evil smirk, "As over the next few months, I'm making this area for these gentlemen and the rest of security and their families to live here if they want. So you'll be dealing with them if you appear here. Now if you want me before I enter The Abyss, I'll be in my office for the next hour or so, otherwise you can see me later at The Abyss. For now please follow my staff and they will set you up for The Abyss, I wish you a good time within the new club."

And with that everyone started to move out, and Maverick went to his office, to make sure he hadn't left anything there.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_Maverick's Office:_

Maverick smiled, the meeting with the employees and patrons went as suspected. He just hoped that things stayed this good for a while longer. As he was sorting things out, there was a knock on the door and Dante entered the room and said, "Hey Boss, there's two gentlemen and a lady wanting a word with you."

"Did they say what they wanted?" Maverick asked his enforcer.

"No just that they wanted a word, and they would only talk to you." Dante told his boss.

"Okay, let them in but you and Warchief stay here just in case there's a problem."

"Of course Boss." said Dante as he went and get the people who wanted to talk to Maverick.

A few moment later three people came in, other than wearing the club's mask, they were dressed in matching black robes. Although the robes were different than what he'd seen in the Magical world. These seemed to almost cling to the top of their bodies as if formed of seamless darkness. Matching black pants completed the outfit. If he squinted just right he could make out a golden sun pattern around their necks and a faintly embossed Phoenix on one shoulder in a dark blue.

"How can I help you three?" Maverick asked the three of them.

"My name is Dusko, and the two with me are Windia and Deatho," explained Dusko, "and we're here to offer you an offer you can't refuse."

"Oh and what kind of offer is this?" Maverick asked with interest.

"Our Mistress the Dark High Priestess Averna, has sent us to offer you to join her ranks." Dusko told the black man in front of him.

"In which case I'm not interested." Maverick said simply.

"Do you even know who Mistress Averna?" Dusko sneered at the club owner.

"If I have to guess some kind of a wannabe Dark Lady." Maverick replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"How dare you say that about Mistress Averna." Windia hissed at Maverick, as winds begun to blow up in the office, at this Dante and Warchief drew their weapons to defend their boss.

"I haven't heard of this Dark Priestess, so all I know she is a Dark Witch who's trying to be something she isn't." Maverick told the three of them. "So why would I risk my club and myself for someone I don't even know?"

"She is working in the shadows, and has been for years," explained Dusko, as Deatho tried to calm Windia down, "she is trying to make sure she has the people she trusts in places where they can do the most damage. It is taking time, but soon she'll act and you'll know her name. You should feel honoured that she picked you to join her ranks."

"She sounds like a smart person, someone I could get along with," Maverick admitted as he smiled, this Dark Priestess was someone who thought the same as him, and someone he would have to keep an eye on, as she could be a risk to his plans, "but I don't want to risk what I have. I have a good deal with the Mystic Knights, one that I don't want to ruin for something that might not work out. The same deal that I give everyone in the club, they can come and go as they like as long as they keep their beliefs at the door, and anything they learn here they can use as they like as long as they don't interfere and make problems with the club. So if your Dark Priestess want information, and such, as long as she doesn't cause problems, she can send someone here. Otherwise you can leave me alone, unless you can prove to me that I should risk my club and myself."

"Thank you, I'll let my Mistress know about your decision," Dusko told Maverick, "but I should warn you that she isn't one to give up on something she really wants. She'll keep on coming to you until you say yes, she might even try and force you if you push her too much. She only sent us today, as she has respect for what you have done with the club, and wants to do this without bloodshed."

"Tell her thanks, but until I know for sure that she'll become the next Dark Lady and will rule, I prefer to keep my head down until then." Maverick told the group, not wanting to get on their bad side, "But she is more than welcome to send people to the club as she has been, be it to gain info or just so that they can relax, as long as no fights start or you make problems for The Abyss."

"Thank you. I'll inform my Mistress," Dusko informed Maverick, "but I don't know how she'll react."

"I'm willing to help where I can, but I won't put myself or my club in danger." Maverick explained to the group, before they left, with Dante and Warchief leading them out, making sure that they wouldn't make any problems for those who are out there. But Windia was making remarks about how Maverick should pay for disrespecting their Mistress, as they left.

When Maverick finished checking his office out, he decided to check the news on the Viewing Lacrima. When he turned it on, he was shocked to hear the breaking news of that night,

"For those who haven't been watching tonight's news, our breaking news is the attack on the Bones Mansion." said the News Reported, "There's little is known about the attack, as the Mystic Knights and Department of Magical Law Enforcement, have been keeping hush about it.

"But what we do know is that the attack was lead by the Death Eaters that escaped justice when the last Dark Lord, Voldemort, was defeated. The reason for the attack is still unknown, but we do know that there have been two deaths, Edwin and Samantha. Their daughter, for legal reasons cannot be named, and Edwin's sister Madam Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, is at this moment at St Mungo's. We still don't know what their conditions are, but what we do know is that they are being treated by the best Healers there.

"When we got more news on this, we'll inform you. Now…" then the News Reporter went on to other news, but the news about the Bones got Maverick interested. As Susan Bones was someone he was interested in, as she was the niece of the the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. And whilst he would want her as a friend, she was more useful to him because of her aunt, one he hoped he could use in the future.

Either way, that's for a later date, he would send an owl to her to see if she is okay and would be returning to Hogwarts after Christmas tomorrow. For now though, he had to go and get Aneira from his new office, so that he could be near her longer. The cover story was that he got her from a Magical Travelling Pet Shop, he got a magical collar from the Goblins so that she had different markings than the one they knew Harry Potter had. So that people wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but people knew about Harry Potter having Aneira, and he didn't want to put things together.

With one last look round his office to make sure that he didn't miss anything, Maverick left his old office, and went to his new one in The Abyss. Once he got Aneira, he went on floor of his new club and made his rounds, making small talk and such, being a good host.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_28th of December - Hogwarts Abandoned:_

It has been three days since the Grand Opening of the Abyss, and things were running great, no problems had arisen and people were enjoying the new club. Sure there were those who were upset about the Sphinxes, but that was expected, no one would like having their magic blocked off… even if it was for a few hours. But they didn't they act on it, not with the new security around, and some even if they didn't like the bracelets, felt safer with them around.

Anyway, with the first night done with, Charlotte, Blink, Bowser and Syrio Forel had a few drinks, celebrated the Grand Opening and a few fights that Syrio won in the Pits. Although the First Sword of Braavos wished that his opponents were more of a challenge, as they weren't up to the standards he was used to fighting. He had thought that fighting against a Mystic would be more of a challenge, but the ones he faced that night weren't all that.

Either way, during this time the five of them traded gifts, something they couldn't do before opening the club. Harry got Charlotte and Blink a limited edition, Nimbus 1500 broomstick that can be shrunk and used as a hair clip. It was something Harry wanted to get them, so that if they were in a fight and they couldn't use their powers to escape for whatever reason, they would have a way to escape. For Bowser, Harry got him a bottle of Remy Martin Louis XIII Cognac, and some Cuban Cigars. As for Syrio, Harry also got him some Cuban Cigars, but also a magical sword too, one that wouldn't break and had other runes across the blade, that depending on the user had different effects to the sword.

As what they got him, Syrio got him another sword, one which would be worn when he was Maverick, to make him more intimidating. To help with this, Bowser brought him some clothes and armour to help with this. As for Charlotte and Blink they got him a gauntlet, which had a green gem resting on the back of the hand. They told him that they got it from one of the traders that sold their things at the Asylum. From what they were told, the gauntlet once belonged to the Overlord's of past. Seeing that Harry was interested in the Overlord, whilst they didn't know it was the real thing or not, they thought it was something Harry would like.

From what Harry read about the past Overlords, it did look like the gauntlet in the books, the only name for it was The Gauntlet. The gem on it had the ability called Soul Magic, which allowed it to gather the Lifeforce of a person, or as some called souls, magic, or whatever the user preferred calling it, of the victims that were killed by the Overlord or one of his minions.

Harry wasn't interested in this though, what immediately caught his attention was another feature that the Gauntlet had. Aside from granting him a number of abilities, all powered by Lifeforce - apart for bringing people back to life, that had to be done solely with his own magic - he could also summon and grant the dead corporeal bodies, as long as they stayed close to the user, within about fifty feet.

It was rumoured that the Gauntlet could temporarily bring back the dead _could _be used without paying any Lifeforce, but it would require a constant stream of power from the user, as opposed to one payment of Lifeforce per summoning.

But seeing that Harry wasn't sure if the Gauntlet was real or not, he wasn't going to try and use it. Not only that, he wasn't ready to kill another living creature. Maybe in a year or so, but for now he would use it as show and gain power to make it work properly when he did use it.

Either way for the last few nights Harry found himself going to the abandoned classroom where the mirror he called the Mirror of Desire was.

Harry was intrigued by the mirror, and to his chagrin kept coming back to it. It wasn't the mirror itself that was pulling him back, it was like it was something else. Also, he had to think about the image of the people behind him, he guessed that they were his parents, it had been awhile since he had any serious thoughts about becoming a Dark Lord. He liked being Maverick, he had the money and the women, and had no real thoughts about becoming a Dark Lord. He didn't want anything to ruin what he had, so for a while he'd forgotten his heart's desire, this made Harry smile, knowing that his out desire from the past was still there.

On the fourth night of visiting the mirror, to see his family, friends/self-made family and to watch his sister, who he missed, dance and laugh in the flames, Dumbledore stepped out of the shadows.

"So, back again, Harry?" Albus Dumbledore asked, sitting at one of the desks. Harry must have walked straight past him. He had to wonder how he'd missed him; Harry was normally very good at special awareness. Not even his almost blind journey to get to the mirror would have made him to miss the old man.

"I didn't see you, sir." Harry said, a bit annoyed with himself for not seeing him.

"Strange how near-sighted being invisible can make you." Dumbledore said with a smile. "So, you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I didn't know it was called that, sir, being calling it Mirror of Desire," Harry said honestly, "although thinking about I was right. Although I was right, Erised is desire spelt backwards. Anyway I do know what it does; it shows a person's heart's desire. It showed my family. To be expected, I suppose; I haven't thought too much about my future yet so I have no grand aspirations as of yet." He analysed, giving a half-truth.

"I'm shocked that you guessed is so easily." Dumbledore said a bit surprised that Harry had figured it out.

"It helped that I was able to figure out the writing on the mirror, 'I show not your face but your heart's desire'." Harry admitted humbly with a smile of his own. "I'm sure if Ron was to look into the mirror it would show him stepping out of his brother's shadows, maybe earning the Captaincy for the House Team, something Charlie never did, but came close to doing, if I remember what he told me right."

"You're right young Harry," Dumbledore nodded, he couldn't believe that the young boy would figure the mirror out so completely without instruction. "I should warn you Harry, this mirror will give us neither knowledge nor truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. For this reason, the Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever _do_ run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that."

"True sir, but what's life without a dream to work towards?" Harry reasoned. "And I have to agree with you moving it, it is a dangerous item, seeing that someone could sit here forever and forget to live. I'm just lucky I got a dream to live for, to have a family, otherwise I would be sitting here for a long time."

"Very true young Harry," Dumbledore said, impressed the young man would be so thoughtful, "Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"

Harry stood up.

"Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"

"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."

"What do you see when you look in the mirror?" asked Harry.

"Myself? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks." Dumbledore replied with a sad smile.

Harry stared.

"One can never have enough socks." Dumbledore said sagely. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."

It was only when he was back in bed that it struck Harry that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful. But then, he thought, as he tossed Ron's rat across the room from where he'd been sleeping on Harry's pillow, it had been quite a personal question. And should have suspected that not to get a honest answer from the old fool.

_**TO BE CONTINUED!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the eighth part of the Blood Stone Saga, and I would like to thank you for reading and I hope you have enjoyed the chapter, as much as I did write it. There might be a few parts that aren't fully good, but I think I have covered everything that I needed to in this chapter. I have to say that this chapter became much bigger than I first thought it would be, but there was more to it then I first thought there would be, and I had new ideas that I needed to add as I wrote this chapter, which explained the longer chapter.

I hope you liked the new OC Cyborg, whilst we haven't seen him much, I'm hoping to add more of him in the upcoming chapters. He was one a Mystic I was planning to use in this story for a long time, so I hope to fit him in more often when I can.

Now I would like to thank Beta Reader Benny37760 and my new Beta Reader Zen Dandros, for their great work, without them, the chapter wouldn't be as good, so thank you guys. I hope they'll be able to help me more as the story comes along.

Now as I end of this chapter, I'm hoping that with luck the next chapter - as long as things go the way I want it to - will be the last chapter of the Blood Stone Saga before I write one or two Interludes. This leads me to a question I want to ask you all, what would all of you like to happen in the second year? With all the new stuff that I have added, I would like to ask what you would like to happen during the summer holiday and during the second year. As there's so much to add with the Mystics, and a few things that I have added in the side-story.

I would like to ask what other Technomagic Cyborg could have, what skills he can gain over time? At the moment he has the basics skills, but I would like to hear what you would like him to be able to do.

There is another question I would like you to think about: should I have the basilisk killed at the end of the story or not? I say it is more useful dead and being in the money as I think about it. But I would like to hear your thoughts about it, and I'll go with the most outspoken thoughts.

_**I'm still looking for ideas for pranks, and I hope you can help with this as I'm wanting a few magical and non-magical ones. Please help me out here, as I'm after some ideas and would like to use some of them soon. I'm now looking for a prank that the Weasley Twins could pull on Harry first, as it'll start off a prank war between the three of them, any ideas please let me know.**_

_**I'm still after ideas of how Harry could turn his friends Dark and joining him, instead of using Confundus Charm. Any and all ideas are welcomed.**_

_**I'm still after ideas for how to make this harder for Harry, be it with his underground club, his everyday life and such. So I would like to ask you what sort of problems should Harry run into now? I love to hear what you lot may come up with.**_

Just a reminder, if I get a flame review and they are guests and aren't helpful I'll be removing them. But if they point out a problem that needs to be fixed, or ideas that I could use to make the story better I'll keep them. I'm not against flame reviews, but only if they are helpful and help me to become a better writer. Otherwise I don't want to know about them. Please consider this when reviewing, as I don't want you to waste your time or mine in useless flame reviews that if not going to be helpful aren't going to be seen.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story.

_**Next on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ With luck the next chapter should be the last chapter of this second saga, so in the next chapter Harry &amp; Co is going to find out about Nicholas Flamel and his Philosopher's Stone. Depending how things go, we'll also see Harry and some of his friends getting Philosopher's Stone, otherwise it might happen in the next chapter. I want to clear a few things up before that, so them getting Philosopher's Stone might happen in the next chapter. The main thing that has to happen before them finding out about Flamel or his Stone is that Harry needs to become friends with Su Li. So I would like ideas on how to do this… I hope you can help me here.


	17. Chapter 15 - The Blood Stone: Part 9

_**Authors Note:**___Some of you might think that Harry is being sentimental, or as one of my friends told me soft, not something that an Overlord would be like. But let me ask you this, what do you suspect from an eleven year old? Yes he is dark, and has his own underground club, but he is surrounded by people who keeps him grey you could.

At the moment his life is good, and there's nothing to push him over the edge. Give me time, I have something planned to deal with it, but it'll take time. But know this though, he _**won't **_be like Voldemort and the Death Eater's killing for the hell of it, he wants to rule the world not destroy it. So keep that in mind please when you read this.

_**Chapter Fifteen... **_

_**The Blood Stone - Part 9!**_

_**(Nicholas Flamel!)**_

_4th of of January 2012 - Harry's/Maverick's Personal Training Area:_

It was the evening before Harry had to board the Hogwarts Express to return to Hogwarts, he knew that he could Flame or Jump back, but he wanted to see how Susan was doing. He had written to her, and found out that she had a few cuts and bruises, but nothing the Healers couldn't heal. There was more to it, but she didn't want to write it in a letter, and so would talk more when they met on the train, which was the main reason Harry was returning to Hogwarts on the train.

It had been a week since Harry laid eyes upon the vaunted Mirror of Erised, during that time frame he noticed _The Abyss_ seemed to be well on the way to becoming a great success; much like _The Asylum_. Harry desired to make a name for himself as Maverick, both in the world of legality, as well as within that of illicit affinity, so he would not only receive revenue from his ever-growing empire within the underworld, but in the legal world, too. So he had his girls, and Bowser, looking for abandoned hotels, as well as areas he could fashion into hotels, for a second income. Tis' amusing that Harry turned towards the world of legality for a secondary source of monetary resources, whilst so many others commit heterogeneous actions.

Of course, the Mystic Knights knew he was far from trustworthy, along with a few other law enforcement departments, but the masses did not. So, he decided to make a name for himself as 'Maverick,' so the law enforcements did not discover his true identity. So, not only did he need to make sure that they didn't discover that Harry Potter and Maverick were one in the same, he needed a business, to explain away his possessing of vast monetary resources, as a consequence, the law could not do anything of note. To him, anyways.

When Harry wasn't running the Abyss or making plans to run a lertrat business, he was training with Syrio Forel, who apart for helping with his sword training, was helping with his nightmares of killing the troll. Tonight he was in the middle of a meditative session, where he was in meditative state clearing his mind and thoughts, it helped him get a good night's sleep.

As Harry was in his meditative state, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and the voice of Syrio Forel the First Sword of Braavos say, "Harry I need a word with you."

The reason that Syrio did this was that should he shock the person in the meditative state, you could do them more harm than good. So Forel told Harry that should he see someone in a meditative state, they should put a hand on their shoulder, and call them softly so they could slowly come out of their meditative state themselves and no harm would be done, which happened with Harry.

Once Harry was out of his meditative state, he turned to his _'Dance' _Master and asked as he stood up off the floor, "Is the session over already Master?" Thinking it was time to open The Abyss.

"No it isn't," the Sword Master told his pupil, "but I wanted to teach you a new skill that'll help you not with only keeping your nightmares at bay, but help you to have a better memory be it remembering this, and taking in information, and protect your mind."

Harry was interested in the idea of this skill, it sounded very useful, but there was one point of it that Harry had to ask about, "What do you mean about protecting my mind?"

"Have you ever heard of the skill Legilimency or the Mystics that can read minds?" Syrio asked Harry, where the preteen shook his head, and so the Sword Master went on to explain, "Legilimency in short is an ability to read a person's thoughts, or the thoughts that the person is thinking about. You see Legilimency can't allow you to read the minds of people like some of the Mystics out there, but if someone is talking about a certain subject, people's thoughts can draft to certain memories a person is looking for, and so able to use Legilimency. But a Mystic with the ability to read minds, don't have to do this, these are the ones you need to worry about."

"Can Legilimency protect my mind?" Harry asked in concern, not liking the idea that someone could read his mind. And was in fact that someone already had and so knew about he was Maverick, and knew what he his plans were, and wanting to become an Overlord of Evil.

"The protection of the mind is called Occlumency" Syrio admitted to Harry, "which is why I had you learning how to meditate, not only to help you sleep, but also get you started learning Occlumency. As meditating is the key to mastering the skill."

"Seeing that I learnt how to meditate, what am I supposed to do now?" asked Harry.

"To build a mindscape," Syrio told Harry simply, "and to do that, you'll need to enter your meditative state and build an area that you feel comfortable in. Then hide your memories somewhere safe within your mindscape. For example, if you had an underwater mindscape, you could hide your memories in underwater caves, or in treasure chests you could hide around hidden with seaweed and such. I wish I could help, but this one skill is something you must do by yourself."

"That's easy enough to do, I've done most of my training by myself before." Harry admitted, not worried about working by himself on this.

"I should warn you Harry, it isn't as easy as it sounds." Syrio warned Harry, "It _could _take you a week or so to create your mindscape, but at the same time it could take _months. _It all depends on what you want as a mindscape, as bigger one take more time to create and mord together. So take your time, and add as much detail as you can, making it harder for those who try to read your mind."

"Is that it?" asked Harry.

"No, once you created your mindscape, you'll need to build defences and traps so should someone enter your mind, you can force them out again or make sure they can't go farther into your mind." explained Syrio, "I'll have someone who knows Legilimency once you think you've got a decent mindscape and defences, to see if they are and if you are able to push them out. So for now, re-enter meditative state, and see if you can start building your mindscape. I'll call when it is time for you to go to The Abyss."

"Okay Master." Harry said with a bow, as he sat back down on the floor, and re-entered his meditative state.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_Like always Harry wasn't sure how long he was in a meditative state, it could have been minutes or hours, which why he set up an alarm or have someone to 'wake' him up. It would seem that creating a mindscape wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. He thought he would be able to enter a meditative state, with just able to create one._

_Then as he was about to give up for the night, and get ready for opening The Abyss, when suddenly he found the darkness he was in, began to morph to look his office. And sitting in his chair was none other than his imaginary sister Lucy. "Lucy, is that really you?" He asked in shock at seeing not only his sister, but his first true friend; someone he thought he'd never see again._

"_Yes brother, it is me…" Lucy said with a warm smile._

"_Lucy!" Harry cried out happily, as he ran over and hugged her as she got up off the chair. "Why did you leave me, I needed you."_

"_I know you did Harry, but at the same time you didn't." Lucy said, eagerly hugging him back. "I didn't want to leave you, but I __**had**__ to."_

"_What are you talking about Lucy?" Harry asked in confusion._

_Lucy sighed, putting her head on his shoulder and staring off into the distance. "Harry, we both know I'm not real. Only your magic allowed me to be seen and touched by you and temporarily corporeal when we fought." She finished her explanation, happy to feel him nodding, agreeing with her theory. "Anyway, back on topic, I know you want me to stay with you, but I can't… with me there you wouldn't have reached out and made friends; friends you needed. After all, when you have me, who needs anybody else." She pulled back and looked at him as she said the last line, smirking arrogantly._

_Harry chuckled at his sister's pompous act, but a frown overtook his face a second later. He was incredibly happy to have his sister with him again, "I want you to stay." He said stubbornly._

"_I know you do Harry, but seriously, you have Charlotte, Blink, Bowser and Syrio, and they have helped you in ways I couldn't, helping you to create Abyss." Lucy told her brother, "And even if I was still with you, it wouldn't work, I wouldn't be able to stay with you. Brother, it's not normal for someone to have an imaginary friend that's a complete separate entity. They'll probably call you schizophrenic, which you probably are, and I'll 'die' for real because of the potions they'll likely give you." _

_Feeling him stiffen and his arms tighten around her she hugged him harder as well, assuring him she was there and wasn't going away just yet. "That doesn't mean I won't be here for you. If you need to talk about something you can't talk to your new friends about, if you're confused about something and you need guidance, if you need me in any way I can help you with, I'll be here. You just have to accept that you're not going to need me that often, and I may fade away further because I won't have a purpose."_

"_Never!" Harry exclaimed firmly. A feeling of red hot hatred suddenly formed, aimed at his friends; they were making his sister fade away again! Just as quickly as it appeared it disappeared. It was silly to blame them for something they had no control over. "I'll always need you." He finished in a whisper._

"_So is this my mindscape?" Harry asked his sister._

"_No it isn't," admitted Lucy, "it would seem that your mind and magic decided you needed help and so they brought me forward to help you."_

"_Oh…" was all Harry was able to say to his sister, not knowing what to say about that._

"_Yes, oh." Lucy smiled to her brother, "now let us work on it before you have to leave to go to work." And so with that the two begun to work on Harry's mindscape._

Harry wasn't sure how long it was for him and Lucy to work on it, but by the time he left to go to The Abyss, he had created a huge cavern that looked like something straight out of the Christian version of hell. Fire, brimstone, and lava were everywhere, and in the centre, there was a small island surrounded by lava.

It wasn't the best of detail yet, but they had only started to create the mindscape. But they hope that over the next few weeks, they would make this mindscape into a piece of art, something that would stop anyone who tried to enter Harry's mind. Lucy informed Harry that there were a few attempts to enter his mind, but he had natural shields already, which kept them at bay. Lucy suspected that the only reason whoever tried to read Harry further, is because they feared that they would alert him and they didn't want that. So his secrets were safe for now.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_5th of January 2012 - Hogwarts Express:_

It was the following morning, and Harry was smiling that he had his sister back, no matter how short it could be. But the thing was that it was only in his mind, and only once in a while and not all the time like it used to. As Lucy wanted him to deal with life without her. It wasn't something Harry liked, but knew that unless he found a way to make her real, the day might come that she would disappear altogether. So that in mind he was going to search a way to make his imaginary sister real. He hadn't yet told Charlotte about this yet, but he wanted to find a way to make his sister real before he did.

For now he was on board the Hogwarts Express making his way back to Hogwarts with Hermione. The two were talking about what they were going to learn the next term, after a while they were about to talk about how Christmas was for them, when Susan Bones and her friend Hannah Abbott entered their compartment.

Upon seeing the two girls, Harry stood up, and did something that he wouldn't normally do, and only did so to get onto her good side, he hugged the Susan. As he did, he asked, "Susan, how are you? I'm sorry about your parents."

"Th - Thank you Harry," Susan sobbed into Harry's shoulders, "it'll take some time, but I'm getting better. I'm just glad that it was fast and painless for them, I don't think I could deal with the fact that they died in pain."

"That's good." Harry said softly, "How is your aunt, the news said that she was still at St Mungo's Hospital?"

"Aun - Aunt Amelia lost her arm," Susan sobbed again, as Harry got her to seat next to him, as Hannah sat on the other side of her, "as soon as they killed my parents, Aunt Amelia fought back. During the fight, a Cutting Curse was aimed at me, but my aunt pushed me away and lost her arm in doing so. But at the same time, the Auror and the Mystic Knights appeared, as Aunt Amelia had an armlet that alerted them that she was in danger. They were able to save my aunt from dying, and at the moment they are trying to sort out her arm. The Mystics believe that they might be able to create a new arm for her, but they said it could be a while before they could create one. For now she is at Hospital recovering, she is hoping to return home and work in a few weeks."

"That's good to hear," Hermione said softly, "if there's anything we can do to help you, let us know."

"Th - Thanks Hermione, in fact there's something I want to ask Harry," Susan told her friends, as she looked at Harry, "I know that you and Ember have been training since you got to Hogwarts. Well, the thing is that I would like to ask if I could join you from now on, I want to become stronger, better, so that I don't have to lose someone close to me ever again."

"Sure you can," Harry said with a sad smile, "but only if you are sure. I don't want you to push yourself if you're not ready."

"Thanks Harry, but I just need to do something to stop this feeling of being powerless and hopeless," Susan explained to her friend, "please Harry, allow me do this."

"If you are sure, you may join us, but it might not be easy seeing that you haven't done this sort of thing," Harry warned the young Bones, "so don't suspect anything right away. I've been training for years to get to the point where I am now."

"I understand Harry, I would like to thank you for this," Susan thanked, "would it be okay if Hannah and Cedric joined us?"

"No problem at all," Harry said with a smile, "all my friends are welcome to join us, but they never want to get up early to join us."

"Oh? What time do you get up to train?" Susan asked in interest.

"Around five/six o'clock." Harry replied.

"No wonder why they don't want to," Hannah said with a smirk, "but if Susan wants to do this, I won't let her do this alone."

"You're more than welcome to join us Hannah." Harry said with a smile, "either way, I need to go to the bathroom, so I'll be back soon." And with that, Harry left for the bathroom, allowing the girls to talk.

Once he went to the bathroom, he went to the restaurant carriage to get some food for himself and the girls. As he was walking back to his compartment, he overheard a group of girls talking. They looked like they were either second or third year Ravenclaws. Not really in a rush, Harry stayed behind them. As he did, he heard a black haired girl of the group say, "I'm so glad that I'm returning to Hogwarts… don't get me wrong, I like home and that, but Hogwarts is something else, it's like home away from home."

"I know what you mean Jenny, there's something about Hogwarts that make it feel like home." A blonde haired girl agreed. Harry himself found he agreed with them; there was something about Hogwarts that made it feel like home instead of a school. "It's a shame we have to deal with that idiot Weasley again." The same blonde haired girl said.

"I know what you mean Lou." A dark red haired boy grumbled. "Just because he's friends with Potter, Weasley thinks he can order us around. As if being friends with Potter can get him whatever he wants, and even get him out of trouble."

"What's worse? It's actually working, people can be so stupid sometimes…" Jenny sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose. "I saw Cho helping Weasley with his homework before the holidays, all because she wants to get into Potter's pants eventually. I really don't get it, that girl's a credit to our House when it comes to grades, but she can be so dense sometimes; yeah sure, helping Weasley with his homework might get her into Potter's social circle, but she could just as easily offer Potter himself help."

As he walked away, Harry found himself in shock, it seemed Ron was doing things behind his back that Harry didn't agree with. He hated being used and Ron was using his name for his own gain. Harry suddenly felt less hungry, but knew that he couldn't do anything until he returned to Hogwarts. So he went back to his compartment, and gave them the food, but didn't say much. As his mood wasn't there, all he wanted to do right then was to have a few words with the youngest male Weasley. His friends were worried about him, seeing he wasn't saying anything, but they knew that he would when he was ready.

_**o0OoO0o**_

It was a few hours later before Harry returned to the Gryffindor Tower, when he returned to Hogwarts they had a feast. During which Harry just made small talk, but kept giving Ron dark looks. No one knew why, but they knew better than to ask Harry. Not even Ember trying to talk to him, or Aneira rubbing her head against him seemed to make things better. When the feast was over, the students made their way back to their dormitories, some were faster than others. Harry took his time and he thought about how he should handle Ron.

But all thoughts of doing things in private went out of the window, as he heard Seamus Finnegan say, "I still think you're full of shit Ron."

"I swear it's the truth, Harry wanted all the credit for the troll, so he forced me to go back to the Common Room!" Ron argued. He wouldn't normally be talking like this in the Common Room - too close to Harry - but Seamus wasn't buying his lies and if one thing could be said about Ronald Billius Weasley, is that he was stubborn.

"Ron I-oh…" Seamus started, only to look over Ron's shoulder, his eyes widening before he turned and quickly headed towards the opposite end of the Common Room. Ron finally shutting his trap, as well as Harry's expression, a look that could be described as 'calm as a bomb', by several Muggleborns in the room, attracted the attention of almost every Gryffindor in the Common Room.

Ron turned around, only to pale as he came face to face with Harry Potter. Everyone in the room could sense the power coming off the last Potter. "Forced you back to the Common Room, huh?" Harry parroted.

Ron laughed nervously, looking anywhere but at the dark haired boy in front of him. "I was just-Seamus thought that-"

He stammered. Harry was quick to shut him down, "Funny, I distinctly remember you said, and I quote; _'Who cares? I'm not going to risk my life for someone I don't like or don't know. If you want to save them, be my guest, but I'm not helping.'_ you then shrugged your shoulder, all but dismissing Hermione's and Ember's very life as an annoyance, and fled back to the Common Room with everybody else."

Ron's ears went pink at having his own words repeated back to him, with perfect inflection no less. It didn't help that both Ember and Hermione was giving him dark looks too. "Well… well…" Ron sputtered, his face rapidly matching his ears as he tried and failed to think up something to say to either shift the blame, or weasel his way out of it as he saw the shocked and horrified looks on the other Gryffindor's faces. As always, his mouth moved without his brain being able to even begin to keep up, and words spilled from his mouth. "I have a family that I need to get back to, I can't afford to just throw my life away for some bossy bint, and an annoying brat that I didn't know!" Ron screamed.

Harry looked over his shoulder as he heard a gasp. One look confirmed it was Hermione, looking terribly hurt. "Hmph, I'd pick that 'bossy bint' and 'annoying brat' to watch my back any day. Better than a backstabbing, untrustworthy, attention seeking piece of shit like you." He said as he turned back and levelled an even stare back at the redhead. "You're nothing but a prat using my so called fame to get what he-"

However, Harry, who was still not used to being in a magic environment, was taken off guard as Ron, instead of charging at him to throw a punch, pulled his wand and shot a spell at him. Harry's natural reaction was to dodge the off-yellow coloured bolt of magic, so that's what he did; he leaned sideways, letting it fly past him without a thought.

He realized his mistake a second later as he heard Hermione yelp. With a backwards look he saw her holding a hand over her mouth, her wide terrified eyes locked on her hand. Harry didn't know what was wrong, but he felt the rage he'd been holding snap free of the restraints he'd kept it under.

Ron stepped back as Harry turned back around, his expression murderous. His voice, despite the rest of his posture, was still level and calm though. "Do you know what most people think of Wizard's in the Muggle World, Ron?" He asked.

Ron tried to muster his courage and be brave, a Gryffindor, but all he managed to do was squeak out a weak, "What?" as Harry advanced on him.

"That they're squishy."

_**o0OoO0o**_

McGonagall hurried to her House's Common Room as the wards tied to her, as the Head of House Gryffindor, reported hostile spell fire. One look and the Fat Lady swung open, and the sight that lay within caused the elderly witch to pause.

Harry Potter had Ronald Weasley pinned on the ground, but not before Ron was able to throw a few spells at Harry. They were easily dodged, but the spells damaged the Common Room - it was pure luck that none of the spells hit anyone. With all the spells that he cast, the taller redhead still found himself on his belly with his arms twisted behind his back. McGonagall just caught the end of what Harry was saying. "- if I ever hear you spreading lies about me again, trying to use my name for your own personal greedy gain, or attacking someone like you did, I'll break your bloody arms." He declared before slamming the other boy's face into the floor.

What was worse, in McGonagall's eyes, was that it looked like the majority of her House was just sitting back and watching this happen. Their expressions varied, but most of them looked happy about such an event taking place. "Mister Weasley, Mister Potter! What is the meaning of this?!"

Harry looked up, not at all surprised, or at least he wasn't showing it if he did feel that way, and stated calmly, "Ron here has been spreading lies about me, using my fame and his position as my 'best mate' to try and get things or favours from others, and when I confronted him about it, he threw a spell at me. I was able to dodge it, but I didn't realize that Hermione was behind me, and she was hit by it."

"Is this true?" The Gryffindor Head of House asked the gathered lions. There were nods all around, so she was forced to accept it as truth. "Mister Weasley, two months detention for slander and cursing a fellow student, they will be spent with Professor Snape and with Filch, helping with whatever they need from you, and you'll help them without magic unless they say otherwise. Mister Potter, detention until you fix the damage to the Common Room." She declared.

The lions sighed as they realized they hadn't lost House Points and started to disburse back to their dorms. Harry got off of Ron, not that the boy was in any condition to do anything but fall limp and cry.

"Professor, I request that we discuss this later, Hermione needs to be taken to the hospital wing, and since I was the one who dodged the curse, not considering that someone was behind me, I feel somewhat responsible for what happened to her." Harry asked.

McGonagall was about to speak up, but she saw one of her two favourite students - not that she would tell anyone that, the first being one of the boy's fighting - with teeth so large they came down to her collar bone. She agreed to Harry's request with a nod; she would yell at them all later, Hermione needed medical treatment.

"Thank you." Harry replied as he hurried over, taking Hermione's hand in his own, and lead her out the portrait entrance.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_5th February 2012 - Hogwarts Library:_

It'd been a month since the fight with Ronald Weasley, and a lot had changed for Harry. At the moment, he found himself in the school library with Ember and Hermione

The night of the fight, when he took Hermione to see Madam Pomfrey, in which Hermione tricked the School Healer into shrinking her front teeth. As they walked back to the Gryffindor Tower, when asked, Hermione admitted that she always hated her front teeth because they made her look like a beaver.

In addition to this, as they were heading back to the Tower, Hermione also told him that she'd asked her parents if he could stay for the summer. She admitted to Harry that she told her parents about his past, and how she would like it if he didn't have to spend time with people he didn't like. But hearing this, her parents agreed that he could to stay with them over the summer, as long as Harry agreed to come with them.

Although he was upset that Hermione told her parents about his past, Harry admitted he was happy to be away from them. And seeing he could visit his friends when he liked, thanks to his skills he was more than happy to go with them. In fact over the last month, puberty hit him hard, and he had been thinking non-stop about sex. Any normal child going through puberty it wouldn't be a problem, but he wasn't a normal child, he ran an underground club where sex was sold, where women/girls would like nothing more to fuck him either as Maverick or as Harry, for what he had done for them. So should they learn he was going through puberty, and was thinking about sex often, they might use that against him. So he was glad for the offer so that he could get away from it for a while, and pop in every so often as Maverick so no one suspects anything.

To make sure that his relatives wouldn't have to pick him up, or bitch about not him being there when they suspected him to be, Harry wrote to him. Needless to say they were more than happy to get rid of the freak for the summer and hoped to never see him again.

When they got back to the Gryffindor Tower it was pretty late, so the two friends went to bed.

The next day, Harry got up early to clean the Common Room so he wouldn't have to worry about it later on. But as Harry was cleaning the Common Room, he was shocked to see that as the other Gryffindors got up and began to help him clean the room. When Harry asked why they were helping him, they informed him that most of the Gryffindors had gotten sick of Ron's mouth and they were glad to help Harry because he stood up to the prat. And so in repayment, they were helping him to tidy the Common Room up. With the older years helping with magic it took less than an hour to fix.

Over the following month, Ron started bad mouthing Harry and his friends, there were a few like Tony who believed him, among a few others. But most just saw him as a jealous person, who lost his meal target, and was playing out, trying to make Harry's life hard. Lucky apart for a few people, Harry didn't have much problem.

Over that month, Harry had started to train Susan and her friend Hannah, Hannah because she didn't want to leave her friend alone. So far Harry only got them to run and do exercises, so that they could build up stamina before they did anything else. He began his training with Tonks who was helping him to last longer in another form. But seeing that his and Tonks powers to shapeshift were different, they were learning together about the differences between their powers. But Tonks began to teach Harry what she could, and would go from there. One of the things that Tonks had him do was take on the form that he often used when he wasn't at Hogwarts, as it would help with training. So Harry had to change his Maverick look a bit, whilst he had the same build as Maverick, he looked like himself, and the scars were in different places. For changing sex, Tonks hadn't decided yet, she said she still wasn't sure if she could train him or not in that.

As for him and Aneira, Harry was glad to see thanks to the document he had, the professors, nor the Headmaster, could part him from his Tigran. Snape would often sneer at Harry in class because of this, whilst the others didn't mind. To the Potion Master, it was another thing that Harry got just because of his fame.

Today was a Sunday afternoon and Harry, Hermione and Ember came to the school library to do some homework for History. Talking about History, Harry was glad that his debut on a point in history was over, as it took long enough for his turn to come around. His talk was about Morgana, and how things would be better if her step-father King Uther Pendragon didn't hate magic and made it hard for Magic Users of the time. The way the king handled things, wasn't good, he imprisoned and/or killed them, it was no wonder that Morgana became a Dark Lady.

Professor Helling found what Harry was saying interesting, as he had points that she too once had. She was pleased that someone else thought of this, as many look down on Morgana because she was a Dark Lady, they never thought about why she became the way she did.

Today other than doing their homework, they were helping Ember to research the Dark Ice Queen Aneira, as she was interested in learning more about the person Aneira was named after. Aneira was by Harry's side.

But when they got to the library, they found the place nearly full, as it seemed that most here were doing a last minute homework. After looking around, the only place spare, was a table with a first year Ravenclaw Witch sitting at. She was of Chinese descent. As she stood up to put a book away, they saw that she stood at about 4'7", and she had long black hair that stopped in the middle of her back, black eyes sitting within a heart shaped face.

"Do you mind if we sit with you Miss?" Harry asked the first year Ravenclaw.

"Sure." was all the Chinese girl said, not looking back at them as she went to put her book back.

Shrugging his shoulders, Harry and his friends sat down and begun to get their things out of their bags, and started their homework. As the young girl returned, Harry said with a smile, "Thanks for allowing me to sit here with you, I'm Harry, and these are my friends Ember and Hermione."

"I know." the young girl simply said, as she went back to her books.

Harry would give up and go on with his own work, seeing that the girl didn't seem to talk much, but for some reason the girl gave off some vibe about her, and that alone made Harry want to know her more. So he asked, "And you are?"

"Su Li." said the girl now known as Su, as she went back to her books.

"You not a big on talking are you?" this came from Ember.

"Conversation is pointless," Su explained to the group, "and unless I have to, I won't say much."

The three could understand that, sometimes they wouldn't say much unless they had to, but when they did talk they would say more than a few words. But as they all knew, each person is different, so this Su Li was someone who didn't like to talk much.

"That's fine, we don't talk much unless we need to or want to make new friends," Harry said with a smile, "and speaking about friends: would you like to become our friend?"

"Why?" asked Su.

"Because you seem interesting and I would like to know more about you." Harry explained to the Ravenclaw, "so would you want to be our friend?"

"Ronald?" asked Su.

"What about him?" Hermione asked dark, wondering what the girl wanted to know about him, she hadn't forgiven him what he said about her.

"Don't like him." Su told them, feeling a bit uncomfortable speaking this much, "He often came to me to do his homework. He threatened me if I didn't help, he would have you make problems for my family."

"You believed him?" Harry asked in shock, although he had to admit now saying it out loud, she had no reason not to believe the young Weasley.

"No," admitted Su, "but wanted 'not to rock the boat', so to speak."

"You don't have to worry about him," Harry explained with a smile, "we have a disagreement you could say, and he won't be hanging around us often out of class."

"Good." Su said happily, and she offered her hand to Harry and said "Friends then."

"Friends." Harry said as he took her hand and shook it.

And with that the three of four of them worked on their homework. After a while, whilst Hermione was helping Ember with her assignment, Harry was pouring over thick tomes in the library, looking for any mention of Nicholas Flamel. _Greatest Wizards of the 20th Century_didn't help. Neither did _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts._ The name refused to be discovered.

"Hey is that Hagrid?" asked Hermione, "What is he doing here."

It was. The unmistakable bulk of Hagrid couldn't be mistaken anywhere. He appeared to have something behind his back. Then, he walked briskly through the shelves, finally passing where the four were seating.

"Oh sorry," Hagrid apologise as he knocked into them, when he saw who it was, he went on to say, "Oh hey guys, I hope you are fine.

"We're fine Hagrid." Harry said after he, Hermione and Ember greeted him.

"Wha' are yeh up to?" asked Hagrid.

"Just doing some homework." Harry told Hagrid.

"I'm glad yeh given up on Nicholas Flamel," Hagrid said with a warm smile, believing that they had given up, "it's too dangerous fer yeh. Yeh should leave it ter the Professors."

"Yeah, we thought it best Hagrid," Harry lied to the Half-Giant, "I don't want to put myself in danger with something that doesn't concern me."

"Good fer yeh Harry," Hagrid said with a smile, believing Harry's lie, "bes' not concern yerself in this. Anyway, I need ter get goin', I've got things to do." And with that Hagrid left the library.

"You lied." said Su Li as Hagrid left the library.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Harry told Su, but whilst she didn't say anything, she had a look that told him that she didn't believe him. It was intense, so much that he backed down and said, "Fine, fine, stop giving that look. Damn girl, I knew you were interesting, I need to keep an eye on you." It was the truth, Harry would be keeping an eye on her and if she became useful, he would find a way to use Su.

"Anyway, as you know the third floor has been blocked for some reason, well, awhile back my friends learnt that there was." Harry explained to Su Li, "You heard about the break in at Gringotts, where the thief got nothing?" Here Su nodded and Harry went on to say, "Well we found out whatever the item was, is now here at Hogwarts, and a Cerberus is protecting it, and the item has something to do with Nicholas Flamel."

"A real Cerberus?" Su asked in shock and disgust, and a look on her face that told them how foolish she thought it was to have a Cerberus in a school of children.

"That's what we think too," Harry said, knowing that she was getting at, "that's why we're trying to find out who this Nicholas Flamel is, so we can find out what is being kept here."

"Sounds familiar." Su said thoughtfully, as she searched her mind as to where she heard the name before.

"I know and that's why we are looking for the name." Harry told the young Ravenclaw.

Just then, Susan, Hannah and Cedric came into the library, where Cedric said, "Hey guys, we just bumped into Hagrid, any idea why he was here?"

"Hey guys, and no we don't know," Harry replied, "he came from over those book stands. I was about to go over there to see what he was looking at."

Seeing that the others were interested to see what Hagrid was looking at, they went stood up, intending on retracing what they saw of Hagrid's steps. They finally came across a shelf with several books missing.

"_History of Dragons,_" Cedric read as he browsed the books. "_Species of Dragons__, __The Dragon's Influence in Muggle Mythology,_oh shit: _The Care and Feeding of Dragons_. There was supposed to be two copies here. One of them is missing."

"You don't think?" asked Hermione asked in fear and shock.

"That Hagrid is planning to take care of a dragon?" Harry asked sarcastically, "This is Hagrid we're talking about, if he got his hand on a dragon somehow, he would want to take care of it."

"But it's against our laws," Susan told them, "breeding or taking care of dragons have been outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden - anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns from some of the Dragon Handlers I've seen. The only place it can happen are in Dragon Reserves."

"But there aren't any wild dragons in Britain, are there?" Ember asked Susan.

"You would be surprised, but yes there are." Susan told the Gryffindor girl. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget."

"So what on earth is Hagrid up to?" said Cedric.

"Don't know, but we have to go down there, to make sure he isn't doing anything foolish." said Hermione.

"Can I come?" Su Li asked Harry.

"You're interested in seeing a dragon too?" Harry asked his new friend.

"Yes." Su said simply.

"Sure you can, I know I would like to see a dragon myself." Harry admitted, and with that, the small group went to see Hagrid.

_**o0OoO0o**_

An hour later, and the seven of them were at the gamekeeper's hut, they were surprised to see that all the curtains were closed. When they knocked on the door, Hagrid called "Who is it?"

"It's me Hagrid, Harry," Harry called out, "let me in."

"Jus' a minute!" he cried out.

They did. When they came knocking on the door, there was a scuffling noise as Hagrid moved about inside.

Finally, the door opened. They stepped inside, and the door quickly closed. The place was hot. It had to be at least a hundred degrees in there.

"Blimey Hagrid!" gasped Cedric. "It's hot as hell in here!"

"And why are all the blinds closed?" asked Hannah.

"Please." Hagrid pleaded, "Don't tell this ter anyone if I tell yeh."

"What?" asked Su.

"See, I got a dragon egg." Hagrid told the new comer.

"How?!" the seven of them chorused together.

"I won it," he said. "Played cards with a bloak down at the Hogs Head Inn. He actually seemed ter be glad ter get rid o' it. Criky, I always wanted ter raise a dragon."

"Why?!"

"Why not? Fascinating creatures, dragons are. And Harry, ya can't say nothin'. Some people do consider an Ice Tigran as dangerous."

"Only to those who try and harm me and my friends." Harry said with a smirk, as his friends just shook their head, they knew what he can be like to those who try and harm his friends. A bit violent was a bit of an understatement.

Aneira was standing next to her master, who hissed inwardly in amusement. But she wanted nothing more to get out of this heat. Her Master must have realized this, as he opened the door so she could get out, where she would wait for him to come out too.

"Promise you won't tell a soul?"

"We won't, right guys?" Harry told the Half-Giant, everyone else nodded, Hermione doing so reluctantly.

"Where's the egg?" asked Cedric.

Hagrid went over to the corner of the room and lifted his flowery pink umbrella. He pointed it at a section of wall, which vanished. Behind it was a massive, roaring pit of fire, inside it, black as night, black as beetles squirming in forest dirt, sat a large dragon egg. It was about the size of a man's head. It looked completely indestructible.

Everyone stared. "How'd you do that?" gasped Ember.

"Magic." Hagrid said shortly, and left it at that.

"Damn." said Hannah. "You gonna raise it?"

"This book here," said Hagrid, pulling out a thick tome that they all recognized, "tells yeh step by step instructions. Yeh're supposed ter keep the egg in extremely hot temperatures, the hotter the better. They are supposed ter be encased in fire to simulate their mother. I cannot wait!"

"Hagrid, don't you realize how dangerous this could be?" asked Hermione. "What are you going to do when he grows up? He's going to be bigger than this room. For God's sake, you have a wooden house!"

"I agree with her Hagrid," Harry told Hagrid sounding worried, "what if it turns on you?"

"I know that yeh're all worried, but like all animals, as long as yeh know how ter handle them, they are fine." the Half-Giant told them, "Look at Fluffy, a bit o' music and he falls straight ter sleep."

Here Hagrid turned red faced, and put his hands to his face, shaking his head as he realized what he said. The others who didn't know who Fluffy was, gave them a strange look and Harry mouthed later.

"I shouldn'ta told yeh that," Hagrid told them in horror, "please don't tell anyone about this."

"We won't." Harry told him, as the other nodded at this.

"Thanks," Hagrid said with a warm smile, "and yeh can relax about the dragon, everything's has been taken care o'." And with that they knew that the discussion about the dragon was closed. For a short while the group talked to Hagrid before leaving.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_15th of February - Great Hall:_

Over the next week and a bit, things were as normal, training, school work and such. The only thing of note was that when Harry told the others about who Fluffy was, and like him they thought that Hagrid was either a bit or a lot mad at naming a Cerberus Fluffy. But thought that Dumbledore was insane for allowing such a thing into the school, Harry thought that they should send a letter to Susan's aunt about this seeing that she was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

But Susan turned that down right away, whilst her aunt was the only one they could trust, Madam Bones was still recovering from losing her arm, and was going under treatment to get an artificial arm from the Mystics. So unless something bad happened, it was best to wait for a while, and hope nothing bad happens.

It was a Thursday and Hermione, Ember and Harry was having lunch with their friends, when A school owl had swooped in and delivered a note. It simply had two words on it: _It's hatching._

"We've got to get down there!" Harry told his two friends.

"Are you crazy?" said Hermione.

"So, we have no class today, and our Flying Class finished before Christmas, so we aren't missing anything." Harry told his friend, "Tell me how often does a person get to see a dragon being hatched?"

"Fine!" Hermione muttered, hating to admit that Harry was right, this could be their only chance at seeing a dragon being hatched, "But if we get caught I'm blaming you, just so you know."

"Sure if you want," Harry said with smirk, "but we're not doing anything wrong. _We _didn't get the egg after all."

So passing the Hufflepuff table to see if they want to come, Susan and Hannah agreed, seeing that they had defence and were more then happy to skip it - seeing that Quirrell didn't teach them anything as it was. So seeing a dragon being hatched would be more educational. Cedric wanted to come, but he had arranged to meet up with his friends, and so he couldn't come with them. Su Li had a class with Professor Mcgonagall, so couldn't risk skipping the class.

So the six others headed down towards Hagrid's hut. They knocked several times on the door.

Instantly, Hagrid answered. His face was split into a wide grin. "Come on in!"

They did, other than Aneira, who stayed outside because of the heat. The dragon's egg was now on the tabletop. It was hotter than ever, and the flames seemed to be twice as bright. The egg had several spider web cracks along the surface, but everything seemed to be fine. The seven waited in silence, observing the egg carefully.

A tiny piece broke off. Then another. Then another. A tiny claw poked tentatively through the surface, followed by another. Soon, a whole, tiny paw emerged. A thin, scaly leg followed it. The egg was slowly but surely breaking apart. All four legs were free. Next came the head. It was about the size of a thumb. Its eyes were midnight black, and its snout was long and pointy. Finally, the body slowly slithered out. It was beautiful in a way. The dragon was covered with midnight-black scales that ran from head to tail. Along the back, the scales made unusual patterns.

"Norwegion Ridgeback!" Susan whispered in awe.

"Correct," said Hagrid, beaming at the little dragon hatchling.

"It's, it's beautiful!" Hermione whispered.

It was. After the dragon licked off its protective membrane it stretched and looked at them. Its wings were long, delicate and leathery. Its tail had spikes on the front, running all the way down to its lower back. It looked at Hagrid and sneezed. A tiny smoke-ball shot from its nostrils.

"Bless 'im, look, he knows his mommy!" Hagrid said as the tiny dragon snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.

"Hagrid, not to put you down, but how fast does a Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?" Hermione asked the Half-Giant. "And how do you know he is a he and not a she."

Hagrid was about to answer when the colour suddenly drained from his face - he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.

"What's the matter?" asked Susan.

"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains - it's a kid - he's runnin' back up ter the school."

Harry bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him. "Shit it was Malfoy," Harry sighed at this, "Hagrid, I know that you don't like it, but with Malfoy knowing about the dragon, it'll only be a matter of time before he tells someone. We need to either to free the dragon, or send it to someone who is allowed to look after it."

"I can't free 'im," said Hagrid. "He's too little. He'd die."

"Then we need to find someone to take him in," Harry said thoughtfully, before he remembered something, "and I think I know of someone. The Weasleys have a brother by the name of Charlie, who works in a Dragon Sanctuary in Romania, so we could send your dragon to him. And he could allow you to visit your friend."

"Hmm, yeh might be right," Hagrid said tearfully, not liking the idea, but knew it would need to happen, "and I remember Charlie, he was a good person. Not only that, but he really liked dragons just as much as me. So yes he would look after the little one. But the question is how ter send 'im ter Charlie."

"I'll ask the Twins, and see if they can contact their brother and see what if they can arrange anything." Harry told Hagrid, "If they can't, I might know of someone who can help you."

"Thank yeh Harry." Hagrid said tearfully.

And with that Harry and the others talked to Hagrid for a short while before heading back to the Gryffindor Tower, to talk to the twins.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_23rd February 2012 - Hogwarts Library:_

Once Harry and the other returned to the castle, Harry talked to the Weasley Twins to ask them about contacting Charlie, to see if they could get him to get the dragon from Hagrid. The twins agreed and told Harry that they would let him know when they heard anything from Charlie, and give them two weeks before he work on another place. About the dragon, Harry and the others learnt that the dragon was indeed a female and not a male, which Hagrid called Caca, the Roman Goddess of Fire.

It was now the 23rd of February and Harry, along with Ember, Hermione, Susan, Hannah, Cedric, Su and Katie, were in the library doing their homework, - the others were doing something else at the time. It was near dinner time and Harry was getting another few books to look for the Nicholas Flamel. But as he got back to his table with them, Katie asked him seeing that they won't the books for their homework, "Harry, what are you looking for? For the last few months you've been looking at different books, books that have no subject to our homework. So what are you looking for?"

After some thought he realized that all this time he had group of people who knew more about the Magical World than him and Hermione, likely combined, and he hadn't even asked for help. He could have kicked himself for not asking them sooner, especially the Hufflepuffs, since he knew them the longest. With a sigh, Harry was about to speak when Su noticed the books he was setting down. "Not homework… third floor corridor again?" Su reasoned in her strange way of speech; she spoke as few words as she could get away with while getting her point across. Harry never bothered to ask why, but he could make some assumptions based on knowing that English was her second language and she was possibly self-conscious about her lack of fluency.

Harry blinked. "Ah, yeah. Whatever's being kept there, has you know has something to do with Nicholas Flamel. And someone, either Snape or Quirrell, is trying to steal it, and I wanted to know what it is. And we all know the name from somewhere, but none of us know from where."

"Flamel…?" Su mumbled as she looked down, deep in thought, as she once again thought about where she heard the name before.

Suddenly Su sat up and walked away, causing the others to look at each other in confusion. The petite girl returned a minute later with a book, which she opened to a specific page and set in front of Harry. "Thanks Su, that was really quick." thanked Harry as he looked at the book.

Su nodded and said with a smile, "Welcome."

Harry smiled back at her and used one hand to prop up the left side of the book to read the title; _The History of Alchemy_. Harry skimmed the article quickly before groaning, his head falling into the pages.

"What, is it something we should have realized weeks ago?" Hermione inquired.

"Not sure about that, but I remember where I heard the name at least." Harry said flatly. He then put his hand into his pocket and pulled out his Chocolate Frog Cards; which he had, coincidentally, brought to show Cedric so they could compare collections, both being relatively new to the collecting business.

He pulled one out and read the back of it: "Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, _and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel' _No wonder we haven't found him in the books we looked into; they were all published recently. Listen to this, _'As you know, the ancient study of alchemy can be used for many things, as long as you remember the one simple rule: to create, something of equal value must be lost. This is the principle of equivalent exchange. This rule is the most important rule there is in alchemy, and there is no way around it or so it was believed. You see, through alchemy, there is one way you can break this rule at no risk to yourself, and this is to make a Philosopher's Stone, also known as the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers."_

"_It is the hopes of all Alchemists that they too can one day make a Stone of their own. For the prestige of making one, the gold the Stone can produce, and most importantly to many; the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal._

"_Although the specifics of _how_ to make the Stone have been lost through time, some say for the better. There have been many reports of Alchemists over the centuries that have been able to make their own Philosopher's Stones. However, when investigated further, all these reports were found to be false. There is only one true Stone currently in existence and it belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel."_

There was silence for a few moments before Hermione said, "Wow, who would have thought that such a thing would be hidden in a school?"

"What sane person would? Who would keep such a trouble magnet in a school full of children?" Harry asked darkly. "I understand that Hogwarts is meant to be the safest place apart for Gringotts, but Hogwarts is full of children; children that could be used as hostages, or hurt somehow if someone wanted to steal the Stone. I'm not saying that they would, but if it was someone who didn't care about children or didn't want to wait for a good time to strike, they could kill everyone here to get it."

As much they were in awe at the fact that the Philosopher's Stone was real and at Hogwarts, they were more horrified as the truth of what Harry was suggesting truly sank in. What if someone did want the Stone bad enough that they would be willing to kill everyone in Hogwarts for it? They all shuddered at the thought and wondered what Professor Dumbledore was thinking.

"Harry, I know that this might be strange, but maybe Professor Dumbledore has something planned?" Hermione suggested, still believing that authority figures like Dumbledore knew what they were doing.

"Something planned or not, the Headmaster is putting the school in danger." Harry shot down with a shake of his head. He still couldn't believe Hermione still believed that authority knew what they were doing; something that seemed completely untrue for basically every adult in the magical world. "That sounds like the exact opposite of his job description. What if some Dark Wizard learned about it and decides the lives of a thousand kids is nothing in the face of eternal life? What if Snape or Quirrell are trying to get the Stone for whatever reason, and decided they had enough of waiting. What then?"

"So what do you think we should do about it?" Cedric asked.

"We do nothing," Hermione said to them, "I might not have much faith in the Headmaster, but other than the Cerberus the Headmaster has other things in place as you know."

"Which could be the only reason nothing has happened yet," Harry told Hermione darkly, "we know how to get past Fluffy thanks to Hagrid's slip of mouth. Who says he hasn't done that before now, and the only thing that's stopping them is not knowing what comes after the Cerberus."

The others could not deny this, as much as they wanted to, and should someone get the Stone who knows what they would do with it. If it was someone with dark intentions, they didn't want to think about what could happen. Here Su pipped up and asked, "Plan?"

"Simple, I think we should go get the Stone now before someone decides to get it." Harry began to explain his plan, but was interrupted by Hermione, "What!? Harry that would be…"

But Harry held up his hand up to stop her talking, "Theft, I know. I also know that while it's wrong to steal, I can't think of anything else we can do." Hermione looked like she wanted to say something, but after several tries she looked down in defeat, she couldn't think of anything. "If we do it without anybody else knowing, it'll also be another layer of security in case someone else with far darker intentions decides to go after it; they'll think it's still there, but in actuality it'll either be with us, or mailed to the Flamels if such a thing is possible." Harry laid out his plan.

Su nodded in agreement. "Proactive. Need alibi."

Harry hummed in thought. "Right…" He was silent for several moments before he took a deep breath and laid out his thoughts, "Okay, Cedric, Hannah, Katie, I think you three should stay behind."

Cedric was quick to object. "I don't mean this condescendingly, but wouldn't it be best to have someone older and more experienced go along?"

"Normally I would say yes, but it's common knowledge that you've become sort of a big brother figure to Susan and Hannah, a role that most would assume would spread to the rest of the Study Group. Not only that, but you take your role seriously, like an unofficial third year Prefect. If you say that we were studying in the back of the library all day, backed up by Hannah if need be, you'd be hard pressed to find someone that won't believe you." Harry explained.

Cedric blinked, looking embarrassed but pleased. "I had no idea my actions had gained a reputation. Thanks for the compliment Harry." He said with happy smile.

Harry returned the smile with a, "I'm only telling the truth. Worst case scenario is we're not back within a few hours and you need to get creative. As for myself, Hermione, Susan and Su, we all have strengths that will help us avoid a 'most gruesome death', which I'm convinced is just the Headmaster being dramatic. Hermione is good at Transfiguration, Su is good at Charms, Susan's second only to Longbottom in Herbology. Ember is coming because of her powers."

"Why do you think they're the skills you'll need?" Hannah inquired.

"Well apart from Hagrid's pet Cerberus-" They were made aware that it was a Cerberus from other students who looked behind the door of the forbidden corridor, they also learned that it was named Fluffy, of all things. "- we don't know what is protecting the Stone, but know other than the fool Quirrell, our four Heads of House has set something up. So it is with luck we can deal with whatever they set up, if not we know the stone is well protected." Harry reasoned.

"That makes sense, but what about Potions?" Susan wondered. "If the Professors are helping to protect the Stone. Wouldn't Snape have a hand in it too?"

"Yes, but I think out of the four of us, we can clear that protection too," explained Harry.

Hermione picked up on his train of thought. "I have to agree, we're all good at potions, so whatever Snape's defence, unless it is as good as it should be - so that only the Professors can get past it - we should be able to get through it. I'm more book smart than anybody here - no offence Su -" She said to the Ravenclaw at the table. Su shook her head and waved her off, assuring her she wasn't offended. "- I might have read something on potions that we might face. Susan and Su are well versed in different but powerful forms of combat magic, and Harry is a natural leader. Even if he doesn't want to admit it." She finished with a teasing smile as the rest of the table laughed. It was well known how humble Harry could be.

"So when are you thinking of going to get the Stone?" asked Katie.

"I say now, sooner the Stone is out of the school, the better I'll feel." Harry declared firmly. "We've been lucky so far, I don't want to push that luck, so I say we get rid of the Stone now. Or would you rather wait for some madman to come and kill us all to get it?"

"But maybe nothing will happen, nothing has happened yet." Hermione stalled desperately, her common sense and her blind devotion to following the rules warring.

"Again, that's only through luck, and I don't want to push it." Harry countered gently. "If there's no other disagreement to this, I'll grab my flute and I'll meet you three near the corridor." Seeing no argument, Harry left the library to not only get his flute, but also Aneira, just in case they needed the extra protection. Before he left, he warned Cedric that if Susan wasn't back before ten he should inform the one of the professors, as something bad might have happened.

_**TO BE CONTINUED!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the ninth part of the Blood Stone Saga, and I would like to thank you for reading and I hope you have enjoyed the chapter, as much as I did write it. I wasn't planning to make it as long as I did, and so miss out on Harry and Co. getting the Stone, but things got out of hand and things happened. I hope you liked how I added Su Li. So there'll be one more chapter with Harry and then an Interlude with Dumbledore and the Blood Stone Saga will be done and the new Saga, The Serpent's Lair Saga will begin. (Please read until the end…)

_**I want to ask you all, what would all of you like to happen in the second year? With all the new stuff that I have added, I would like to ask what you would like to happen during the summer holiday and during the second year. As there's so much to add with the Mystics, and a few things that I have added in the side-story. **_

_**I would like to ask what other Technomagic Cyborg could have, what skills he can gain over time? At the moment he has the basics skills, but I would like to hear what you would like him to be able to do.**_

_**There is another question I would like you to think about: should I have the basilisk killed at the end of the story or not? I say it is more useful dead and being in the money as I think about it. But I would like to hear your thoughts about it, and I'll go with the most outspoken thoughts.**_

_**I'm still looking for ideas for pranks, and I hope you can help with this as I'm wanting a few magical and non-magical ones. Please help me out here, as I'm after some ideas and would like to use some of them soon. I'm now looking for a prank that the Weasley Twins could pull on Harry first, as it'll start off a prank war between the three of them, any ideas please let me know.**_

_**I'm still after ideas of how Harry could turn his friends Dark and joining him, instead of using Confundus Charm. Any and all ideas are welcomed.**_

_**I'm still after ideas for how to make this harder for Harry, be it with his underground club, his everyday life and such. So I would like to ask you what sort of problems should Harry run into now? I love to hear what you lot may come up with.**_

Just a reminder, if I get a flame review and they are guests and aren't helpful I'll be removing them. But if they point out a problem that needs to be fixed, or ideas that I could use to make the story better I'll keep them. I'm not against flame reviews, but only if they are helpful and help me to become a better writer. Otherwise I don't want to know about them. Please consider this when reviewing, as I don't want you to waste your time or mine in useless flame reviews that if not going to be helpful aren't going to be seen.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story.

_**Next on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ We'll find Harry and Co. going after the Stone, and then there's some aftermath of getting the stone. (On a side-note, I would like to ask is there anyone out there who can help me write a fight scene, as I have one in the next chapter which I would like help make better. So if you can help me, please let me know.)


	18. Chapter 16 - The Blood Stone: Part 10

_**Chapter Sixteen... **_

_**The Blood Stone - Part 10!**_

_**(The Philosopher's Stone!)**_

_23rd February 2012 - Third Floor Corridor:_

It was about half an hour before Harry got to the third floor corridor with his flute and Aneira, but as he got there he saw that the corridor was empty. As he wondered if Filch or one of the Professors caught them, he felt himself being pulled into a classroom. As he turned around, his wand halfway out, he stopped as he noticed that the person who pulled him into the room was Su, with Ember, Hermione and Susan standing behind her.

"Sorry we scared you," Susan said apologetically, "but Filch was around and we had to hide in here so he wouldn't find us. Why have you brought your cat with you? How can she be any help?" Susan asked suddenly when she saw Aneira.

"As you know Aneira isn't just a normal cat, she is a Tigran." Harry explained to Susan.

"I know that, but we have never seen her use her powers." Susan told Harry, and Hermione and Su nodded in agreement. Ember knew the full story, and what her first true friend was about to show them, in fact it was only yesterday he showed her what Aneira was able to do.

"True but as you know, until after Christmas, I wasn't allowed her near me that much and allow the bond between us to grow." Harry explained to the girls, "So unlike how she would be like in the wild, her powers were weakened because we couldn't bond. But over the last month and a half though…" As if she knew what her Master wanted, Aneira jumped out of Harry's arms and onto the ground, where she began to transform into her Tigran form.

Once she turned into a tiger, the girls looked at her in shock. Over the last few months thanks to the potions he was taking he now was about 5'2, and although she was still a 'kitten', in her Tigran form, she just came up to his waist, being around 3'6. She hadn't stopped growing though, and if what he read was true by the time she stopped growing she would be about 4'10 to 5 feet tall; big enough to ride if she allowed it.

"Very useful." Su echoed as she eyed the transformed feline with a calculating eye.

"True Su." Harry admitted, "So you see Susan, she is able to do this and a few ice attacks. I'll admit that she isn't that powerful at the moment, and she can't keep her Tigran form up for long or do many attacks. But should we need her though, she'll transform into a Tigran and fight for us."

"So, if there's nothing else, shall we?" Harry gestured towards the door, an amused smile on his face as Aneira transformed back into her kitten form and jumped back into her Master's arms.

_**o0OoO0o**_

As the five children and one cat walked to the forbidden corridor, Su and Harry kept an eye out for Filch, his cat, and professors, as they didn't want to explain what they were up to. As they headed towards their destination Harry found it strange. He'd thought that something as important as the Philosopher's Stone would warrant a guard standing vigil in the corridor, at the very least, but there was nothing…

As they reached the location that was destined to give them 'a most painful death' all Harry found guarding the door was… well, the lock on the door itself. He was terribly underwhelmed by the whole experience. "So any ideas how to open this?" He asked blandly.

"According to the rumours I've heard a simple _Alohomora_ will open it." Susan answered.

Harry frowned as he did so; this made no sense, nothing to protect the corridor from being entered and a door locked not with some massive, complex and advanced locking spell, but one that can be undone by a first year charm? Was the Headmaster wanting a death or something. It was lucky that anyone who entered here so far, hadn't been killed yet. This was just another reason why Harry didn't trust Dumbledore, and another stick to give the old man the next time he saw him. Anyway, as they entered the corridor, they heard a low, rumbling growl. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.

Quickly, Harry put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew, hoping that this would work or they could be dog food. Harry played a soft tune, one that he'd been practicing since Christmas. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased - it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.

"Wonderful." Su complimented as they kept listening to the soft music.

"I have to agree Harry, that was wonderful, you play quite well." Susan agreed as she looked around. Finding what she was looking for, she said with a pointed finger, "There it is." The other three were right behind her as Susan bent down and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.

"What can you see?" Hermione asked Susan anxiously.

"Nothing, it's pitch black, there's no way of climbing down; we'll just have to drop." The 'Puff answered.

Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at Susan to get his attention and pointed at himself.

"You want to go first? Are you sure?" said Susan. "I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep, I can't play a flute to save my life."

Harry handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silence, the dog started to grumble and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.

Harry climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom. He lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. Then he looked up at Su, who was wordlessly gazing down at him. "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Get some help to get me out."

"Right." Su agreed, the slightest hesitation in her voice. Although Harry didn't see it, Ember gave a look that said if anything happened to him, she would be following no matter what, she wasn't about to lose her first friend without a fight.

"See you in a minute, I hope…" Harry half-joked as he let go. Cold, damp air rushed past him as he fell down, down, down and -

FLUMP. With a funny, muffled sort of thump he landed on something soft. He sat up and felt around, his eyes not used to the dark. It felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.

"It's okay!" He called up to the light the size of a postage stamp, which was the open trapdoor. "It's a soft landing, you can jump!"

Ember, Su and Susan followed right away. They landed, sprawled next to Harry.

"What is this stuff?" Ember wondered as she rubbed what she'd landed on.

"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione!" Harry called.

The distant 'music' stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed behind Harry.

"We must be miles under the school." She said with wonder. Harry could feel her bushy hair hitting him, leading him to believe she was looking around, trying to find any hint of light.

"Lucky this plant thing's here, really." Susan admitted.

"_Lucky!_" Hermione shrieked. "Look at you four!"

She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and the others, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.

Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as her three friends fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.

"Stop moving!" Susan ordered them. "It's Devil's Snare!"

"That's a start, anyone remember how to get rid of it?" Harry asked.

"…We need light, or fire, but the 'Snare grabbed my wand when I hopped off of it!" Hermione panicked after a rapid and unsuccessful search for her wand.

"Su, Susan, Ember can either of you get to your wand?" Harry asked the other three girls as the vines crept up his chest. He felt mildly uncomfortable as one of the smaller vines slipped underneath his shirt. For some reason, the room was blocking his Mystic powers.

Susan was about to reply in the negative, but the quiet but firm voice of the 'Claw among them beat her to it. "Yes… close your eyes!" She barked as she raised her wand. The rest of the group quickly complied, trusting her to know what to do. They were glad they did when a ball of light as bright as a miniature sun formed at the tip of her wand. The Devil's snare actually screeched as its thinner vines were flash fried from the intensity of the light.

Once they were free from the plant and they couldn't see a silhouette of the world through their own eyelids Harry walked over and patted Su on the back. "Good job Su, that was some quick thinking." He shifted as Aneira on his shoulder meowed in agreement.

"I think I just got a tan." Susan quipped as they all moved forward on mutual consent; speed was the key.

"Well at least we weren't turned into atomic shadows." Hermione tried to up the mood with a joke, only to get confused looks from the two magical raised girls and a snort from Harry and a giggle from Ember. "Atomic shadows are created after using a Muggle explosive called an atomic bomb. After the explosion people's outlines are imprinted into walls they were standing near."

Unsurprisingly, this only increased the nervousness the girls were feeling, though it did distract them from the nervousness they were feeling before about getting passed the obstacles.

"That was too easy." Harry said darkly as he looked for a way out.

"_That _waseasy for you," Hermione said in disbelief, "I know you see danger differently than us mere mortals, but if it wasn't for Su, we would most likely be dead."

"Yes that _was _easy, and would be easier if my Mystic powers weren't blocked." Harry told the girls, who did wonder why Harry didn't use his powers, "Whilst we might have died, and thank Merlin we didn't, for a Dark Wizard or Witch, they would have had another wand or trick up their sleeves. They wouldn't be a Dark Wizard or Witch if they didn't, and the ones who didn't would be those who are new or are wannabe Dark Wizards or Witches who have no idea what they are doing. A true Dark Magic User or Dark Lord/Lady wouldn't have a problem with the plant."

Here the girls had a grim look at this, because they knew that as much as they hated to admit it, Harry was right. Be it a Dark Magic User or a thief, anyone who wanted the Philosopher's Stone, would be more prepared for such trips.

"Looks like there's only one way." Harry said, pointing down a stone passageway which, just as he'd said, was the only way forward. As if he said nothing.

_**o0OoO0o**_

All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward, and Harry was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant cold knot forming in his chest, he remembered the dragons rumoured to be guarding vaults in Gringotts. If they met a dragon, a fully-grown dragon… he shuddered at the thought.

"Can you hear something?" Susan whispered.

"Wings." Su answered.

Harry nodded, "Yeah, sounds like lots of them too. Not much further, there's light up ahead."

They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.

"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" Hermione wondered.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they did." Harry admitted. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once… well, there's no other choice… I'll run."

He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. He expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happened. He reached the door untouched. He pulled the handle, but it was locked.

The other three followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her _Alohomora Charm_. Harry was getting more suspicious, why wasn't this kind of magic on the first door? Something wasn't right about all this. Harry wasn't sure what yet, but he was certain this wasn't right.

"These birds… they can't be here just for decoration." Hermione said.

They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering-wait, glittering?

"They're not birds!" Harry said suddenly as he took a closer look at the so called birds. "They're keys! Winged keys; look carefully. So that must mean…" He looked around the chamber while the other three squinted up at the flock of keys. "Aha!" He cheered as he saw a half-dozen broomsticks lined up against the wall. "We've got to catch the key to the door!"

"But there are hundreds of them!"

"Big, old-fashioned, silver; like the handle." Su supplied, tapping her nail against the tarnished metal she was talking about to make a pinging sound.

Harry got a good look at the lock before seizing a broomstick and kicking off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. Harry grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one. It didn't help the key's behind him were attacking him.

However, he had a knack for spotting things other people didn't. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and used a few times already.

It was a few more minutes before he was able to catch it. Acting fast he snapped the wings off the key and flew down, throwing the key to Hermione, who ran to open the door. As Hermione was opening the door, Harry was flying about to keep the keys at bay. As soon as Hermione opened the door, he flew down and through the doorway. The second he was through the three girls slammed the door behind him.

_**o0OoO0o**_

Once they left the last chamber, they entered a dimly lit corridor. As they were working down the new chamber, they were catching their breath as Harry said, "What the hell are the professors thinking, so far we had Professor Sprout's and Flitwick's so called protections."

"What do you mean so called protections?" asked Susan, who suspected she knew what was coming.

"Well you know my thoughts about the first protection, who no doubt belonged to Professor Sprout," Harry began to explain himself, "the last one was Professor Flitwick's. No I'll admit it was a bit more difficult, with those things attacking you whilst you need to catch the key. But any decent broom rider could pass that protection, then again now I think about it, if I tried to summon it, I might have gotten it that way too. But I think that Flitwick would have thought of that, so I still had to fly for the key. But my statement stands, any decent broom rider could have passed that protection given time."

As much as they hated to admit it, the girls after some thought, they knew that Harry was right. Any decent broom rider could do the task.

As they were thinking of this, they entered a dark chamber, at first they couldn't see anything at all. But a few second of entering the chamber, lights suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.

They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. The four first years were unnerved to find that the white pieces had no faces, just blank slates.

"Now what do we do?" Hermione whispered.

"I_…_ guess we have to play our way across?" Susan guessed.

Su was the next to voice her thoughts, "Risky. Requires skills we do not have."

"Yeah, like hell." Harry said darkly, none of them were good at this game, and he suspected that it would be like the real Wizarding Chess where the figures would attack each other, and if they had to play the pieces… _'Not happening.' _Harry thought, before an evil smile crossed his face. Not only would the chess pieces attack them, it would take time. Time they didn't have a lot of. He decided to do what his cousin would do when faced with anything that made him feel inferior; break it.

Before he could do anything, Hermione asked as she saw the smile, "What are you planning Harry?"

"First let me point out, this is just another point to prove that the Headmaster has lost it or he is playing some sort of game, seeing that most people know how to play chess. So this is no real protection to protect the Stone." Harry told the girls, who sadly begun to see Harry was right, after three protections, they knew that they weren't as good as they should have been to protect the Philosopher's Stone. "And as for what I'm planning, I'm going to go through this the easy way. Ember if you don't mind helping me." Harry said with a smirk, and before the girls could say anything, he waved his wand, _**"Reducto!"**_

With that a black piece exploded to dust, which started a war between Harry and Ember Vs. the chess pieces. Harry used the _**Reducto **_to burst the chess pieces apart, whilst Ember used her gravity powers to do the same. It wasn't that hard, as they were smaller than the giant chess pieces, so they were able to dodge the pieces with ease. The so called war lasted for about ten minutes or so, chess pieces were exploding and Harry was smiling as he did so. By the end of it, Harry was outright grinning in the middle of a pile of rubble, and whilst Ember was dusting herself off, Harry thought to himself, _'I've got to thank Cedric for teaching me this spell.'_

The other girls looked at him strangely, "What?" He asked innocently, "Destroying them was a lot easier than wasting time playing through the game. If we did it might have taken hours to play. Anyway, we're on a schedule." Then, as he started to walk away, he threw over his shoulder, "Besides, what eleven-year-old boy doesn't like breaking things when they can get away with it?"

While Susan and Hermione were speechless, Su breezed past them and joined Harry as he ventured across the room and to the next door. "Looked fun." She admitted, a small smile on her face that could even be dubbed mischievous.

As they entered the next they were shocked to see a troll, who attacked them as soon as they entered the room. They were able to dodge the attack. The troll was at least a metre taller than the one that Harry faced on Halloween, and looked a lot meaner. It was this point that Aneira transformed into her tiger form and stood next to her Master, waiting to attack.

The troll charged towards Su, who used some form of repulsion spell to knock the beast away from her. Whatever the spell, it made it angry and went after Hermione and Ember, the two girls closest to it, in its anger. Hermione and Ember froze in fear at the sight of another fully grown Mountain Troll threatening them - it reminded them of what nearly happened on Halloween. Because of this, Harry was forced to throw a few fireballs at the troll to distract it as he used his powers to push Hermione and Ember out of harm's way.

However, this made the troll even angrier and it start to swing it club about in anger, and Harry got hit because of it. Before the Troll could do anything more, he was systematically turned to a frozen troll-sickle, thanks to Aneira, who had turned into her Tigran form, for a few seconds before then being turned to bloody frozen chunks learning a valuable lesson in exactly why you shouldn't attack the friends of a girl who'd been trained as a warrior all her life as Su demonstrated skills in Battle Magic the others didn't know she has. After Su's impressive display was done Susan showed her budding talent in the art of healing and was able to heal Harry's wounds. Luckily, his injuries were minor, as broken bones and internal bleeding was out of her range of expertise.

"Thanks Susan. Hermione, are you okay?" Harry asked, concerned for the bushy haired girl. Susan understood the rushed words of thanks, and was equally worried for Hermione and Ember; knowing the full story of what happened on Halloween, or at least the 'public' version of it.

Both Hermione and Ember were a bit shaken up, but they were rapidly recovering from their freeze-up. "I'm fine." Both said firmly after a few deep breathes, and Hermione went on to say, "Let's continue on."

Harry nodded, giving her hand one last squeeze before walking over towards Su, his face brightening into an amazed look. "Su that was awesome! I had no idea you could cast spells like that." He praised, offering her a hand up.

The panting girl looked away, blushing lightly, not even slightly used to being able to show off her skills for her friends, or even anybody that wasn't family, but took his hand regardless.

Once everyone had regained their bearings and breath, the four continued on to the next room. They hardly dared to look at what came next after entering the next doorway, the Troll was something they suspected for protection for the Philosopher's Stone.

_**o0OoO0o**_

Thankfully as they entered the next chamber, there was nothing to be alarmed over; just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing in a line.

"Snape's?" Harry asked, getting thoughtful looks before nods from the girls. "So what did the greasy bat set up for his protection for the Stone?"

They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.

"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry and the other two girls looked over her shoulder to read it:

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry, amazed, saw that she was smiling.

"_Brilliant,_" Hermione said. "This isn't magic; it's _logic_, a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, sorry girls." She added to the others in the room, they nodded in understanding, "They'd be stuck in here forever."

"For those who aren't Mystics at least, or aren't good at riddles. So are you one of those good at riddles, or are we stuck here for a while?" Harry asked his smart friend. "I for one hate riddles, and so I for one don't want to be stuck here until Dumbledore or one of the other professors finds us."

"Of course we're not going to be stuck here for a while, who do you think you're talking to." Hermione said with a friendly smirk. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."

"But how do we know which to drink?" Susan asked.

Hermione smiled mischievously, "Oh I already figured it out. But before I say which, I would like you three to guess which one we should take."

Harry figured it out a few minutes after Hermione's challenge, and Su and Susan, surprisingly, considering their upbringing, got the answer right several minutes after Harry.

As Harry was examining the bottles more closely Susan had tried a Duplication Charm on the vials of potion, to see if she could make three extra potions so that each of them could go through the fire, since there was only enough for two people. However, she was only succeeded in making three extra glass vials, which were empty.

As Susan, Su and Hermione were deciding who would go with Harry to get the Stone. Ember was watching Harry, who was testing the fire to see if he could touch it. Harry knew that he could touch normal fire with ease, and he had been experimenting on a few magical fires, with success. But he had never tried a fire created by someone with experience in magic, so he wasn't sure if he would be able to handle this fire.

To his pleasant surprise though, he found his hand going through the fire without a problem. He wasn't sure because the fire was obviously magical in nature, and thus likely different than normal fire in ways he couldn't explain yet. So as the three girls argued about who would get the correct potion and go with and who would stay behind, Harry smiled and winked at Ember, before he slipped through the imposing black flames unharmed into the next room.

As Harry entered the next room, he found himself in a chamber. It was empty apart for a few torches that were a lit, a mirror that Harry recognized as the Mirror of Erised and no way out apart for the way he came in. Harry quickly realized that the mirror was some way of finding the Stone, so he looked into the mirror. Hoping to find the Stone so that he could send it back to the Flamels.

When he looked in the mirror and this time he didn't see his friends and family, all he saw was himself standing next to his twin, and they were standing in the centre of his mindscape, the huge cavern, with fire, brimstone, and lava were everywhere, with him in the centre of it on the small island. His sister like before was dancing around burning/charred corpses that were littered around.

Harry had to wonder how he was going to get the Stone from the mirror. All he wanted was to get the Stone out of the school, not because he didn't want it, any man would for what it could do. But he didn't need it, he was making his own money and becoming rich over time with it, and as for immortality, he could find another way, even creating his own Stone in time. All he wanted was to remove the danger it placed on the school, so he wouldn't be forced into something he wasn't ready for.

As he was thinking this, he saw his reflection giving him a smirk and a wink, before it dropped a red stone into his pocket, before Harry and Lucy within the mirror turned around to gaze around the cavern, most like planning what to do with it.

Harry was a little miffed at being ignored by his own reflection, but before he could think more about it, he felt something in his pocket that wasn't there before. Taking whatever it was out of his pocket, Harry found that it was the Philosopher's Stone. Smirking to himself, he placed the Stone back into his pocket and left the chamber.

He was amused to find Ember smirking at the other three girls who were with them, still arguing about who would get the correct potion and who would stay behind when he walked back through the firewall. At the same moment he walked through the fire the girls looked up and saw him coming back.

"What the hell!" Susan shouted as she rushed over to him, as he stepped through the flame wall.

Su, despite her normally shy nature, gasped as she saw him take his last step through the flames.

Harry chuckled as Susan patted his chest, as if patting out invisible little fires. He batted her hands away lightly with a chuckle, "Girls, I'm fine. Ember and Hermione knew this, seeing that I used it to defeat the Troll, but I can use the element of fire."

Both non-Gryffindor girls glared at him in response, nonplussed.

"Susan I was going to tell you soon, as I was going to use it in our training soon, and Su, I just met you and so wasn't sure if I was going to tell you just yet." Harry explained to the two, and got a glare from Susan and Su telling him understandable. "Anyway, I've only known you lot for a few months, and I wasn't sure if I could trust you with my secret. Don't tell me that you and others haven't got secrets that you haven't told us or things you don't want to talk about?" Harry asked as he gave, challenging them to say otherwise. As he knew that all families had their own secrets, or at least things that they didn't want others to know.

"…" Su's blank stare told Harry he was right, as did Susan's defeated sigh. "Fine, not like I haven't got my own secrets, but how did you know you could walk through a magical fire like that?" Ember and Hermione looked at Harry with interest, seeing that they wanted to know this too.

Harry looked a bit sheepish as he admitted, "To be honest I didn't," and here the girls gave him a death glare for doing something so stupid, "but I did know I could touch non-magical flames without problem, and some what you call weak magical fires. This is the first time I tried to do something more powerful, something that meant to keep people out of a place, so I wasn't sure it would work.

"But when I saw you three arguing, and since I thought it might take a while, I thought I'd see if I could touch magical fire without being harmed. And once I found out I could, I figured it'd just be quicker to see what was ahead myself. If it was dangerous I could always yell for you girls to run away. It just happened that you looked up when I decided to come back…"

"…Stone?" Su asked after a moment of consideration.

"I've got it here." Harry answered as he pulled the Stone out of his pocket. "Now let's get out of here."

As he said that, other than Ember, the other three girls started to walk towards the table so they could drink the potion to leave the chamber but as they did, Harry asked with a smirk, "And where are you three going?"

"Getting out of here, like you said." Hermione answered uncertainly, unsure of why Harry was asking.

"I did say that, but I've got a faster way out of here." And a lot safer, but Harry wasn't going to say that. As he knew that as soon as they got back up top they would have to face Fluffy, something he didn't want to but knew he would have to if the girls didn't find out about his powers. But now…

"How?" Su asked.

"I can teleport, or as I like to call it Flaming. But only to places that I've seen in person myself, or have a high quality pictures of in my head, granted, but I could teleport us to the room you pulled me into easily enough." He explained.

"But Harry, there are wards around Hogwarts that-" Hermione began winding up for a lecture before Harry took her arm by suddenly and flamed out of the chamber and into the unused classroom that they were in earlier. "-stops all forms teleportation in and out of Hogwarts…" She finished lamely as she saw where she was. She was shocked to find that the two of them were in the classroom that they were in earlier, just like he'd said. "B-But how is this possible, the, the wards and… and…" She trailed off as she tried to deny what he'd done using logic, but found she couldn't.

He shrugged, "I have no idea to be honest, could be because it is a Mystic power and they haven't found a way to stop it yet, whatever the case, I for one am happy the wards don't seem to affect my ability. Back in a sec_…_"

He flamed away, reappearing briefly with Susan before doing the same with Su and Ember. When he let go of Su's hand he stumbled back against the desk behind him breathing heavily, holding his head as it rolled to the side. "Are you okay?" Hermione asked, beating the other two to the punch because they were busy getting over their surprise at the successful teleportation.

"Fine_…_ fine. The magical drain skyrockets when I take other people with me, and doing so like I just did, just need to get stronger." Harry panted.

Internally he was just happy it worked, as he'd never teleported another person this far before, and wasn't sure if he could do it or not. He doubted anything bad would happen to the girls because of how the ability worked - his magic acting as a cocoon, the fire being what tore a hole for him to zip through to his destination - but he was still unsure if the spell would work, as opposed to fizzling out.

"Now if you three don't mind, I would like to get something to eat and go to bed, teleporting four people without rest took a lot out me." Harry suggested. The girls nodded in understanding. Just because he could do the impossible and teleport inside Hogwarts didn't mean the Wards that normally prevented it didn't take their pound of flesh, so to speak, in retribution for being beaten. At least, that was their theory.

It would be a few hours later before Harry's head finally hit the pillow and he was out like a light. He was glad his friends hadn't asked any more questions since he was too tired to answer them properly. He was glad he was even able to get to sleep with how active his thoughts were.

During the night, Harry found himself talking to his sister, where they talked to each other about the tasks. Lucy did agree with him that the situation was strange, that the Stone was so badly protected that five first years could get past the so called protections in less than an hour, with no serious injuries. And wondered what the Headmaster was up to, why didn't he set up better protection for the Philosopher's Stone.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_24th February 2012 - Hogwarts Library:_

The following day after getting the Philosopher's Stone, Harry went to class as normal, lucky for him, Potions was the only class that Harry had that day. Whilst the class better in many ways, Snape showing them how to do a potion, explaining why certain things had to be done in such a way, and having protective gear now, Snape still hated him, and would take point from him where he could. Not that it bothered Harry that much, seeing he was learning an useful skill, so he did the same thing to him as he did with his family, he ignored him when possible.

After Potions, he went to the Owlery to visit Hedwig with Aneira, as the others went to lunch. Harry found visiting the Owlery with Aneira very amusing, as when he and Aneira visited them, the owls would scatter away in fear of the feline - it was highly amusing to Harry. Anyway, after talking to Hedwig for a bit, he sent her off with Philosopher's Stone to Nicholas Flamel.

For the next few hours after that, Harry, Ember and Hermione did their Potion Homework, knowing that doing so as soon as possible would be one less thing to worry about. As they knew that Snape would love nothing more but to dock points from them should their homework not be done properly. After doing the Potion Homework, they visited Hagrid for a short while before returning to the library to meet up with the others where their small Study Group often met up to do homework, or talk. As they knew that as long as they kept their voices down, and stayed in the back of the library, no one would bother them.

Here they told the group, who had been helping them looking for Nicholas Flamel, what they found and the others were shocked to hear that the item that was at Hogwarts was in fact _the _Philosopher's Stone. Nearly everyone in the Wizarding World, and some in the Muggle World, had heard about the Philosopher's Stone, because of it creating gold from lead and giving those who had it immortality. But many often forget who created the Stone itself.

The group that wasn't with Harry was shocked at how easily they were able to get past the obstacles. Although Hermione's old habits came back as she quickly to the defence of her idols. It seemed like every time Harry suggested an idea she blew it off completely and insisted there must be some reason for their actions that they couldn't understand. "Harry, I know it's strange, but do you really think that the Headmaster is up to something? He may only brought the Stone here to-"

"Hermione!" Harry finally snapped. "You need to knock this off; just because somebody is in a position of authority doesn't make them infallible, or incapable of scheming. Look at how Dumbledore acted, he might have good intentions, but he seems to be up to something. Look how he acted with the incident with the attack with the Troll, he treated me as the bad guy just because I defended my friends. And if he really did have the best of interest in mind, he wouldn't have brought the Stone to the school - where students could get hurt, or even killed - in the first place."

"I don't want to think so, but Harry's right." Katie reluctantly admitted. She didn't like the thought of Albus Dumbledore being a scheming old man because of what it meant for the student body at large, but facts were facts. "The job of a Headmaster is to keep the school and its student's safe, bringing the Stone here is doing the exact opposite. He must be up to something; maybe he wants to lure someone to the school, or some other reason we don't know. Whatever the case, it doesn't mean good things for us." The others nodded in agreement and Hermione sighed as she accepted their point. Her faith wasn't yet fully broken, but it was shaken even more. Harry hid a smirk that Hermione's dependence on the Dumbledore had taken another hit, with time it'll be fully gone.

"We'll keep an eye on him. If he's really up to something it'll probably fall apart since we've stolen the end game piece before the trap can be sprung." Harry suggested. "He also might try something else; something that would be the school in danger again. From now on we'll be ready."

"We agree…" Fred started their usual routine this time.

"…We should keep an eye out." George continued.

"We don't want anything to happen." Both boys finished with conviction.

"By the way, what happened to the Stone?" George wondered curiously.

"Before coming to lunch, I want up to the Owlery to visit Hedwig, and sent the Stone off with her to the Flamels." Harry told them.

"Do you think that Hedwig will be able to find the Flamels?" Susan asked.

"I have full confidence that Hedwig will be able to find them," Harry said confidently, then casting the time spell, he said, "Anyway, I'm off to get something to eat, after using so much power last night, I'm still hungry and tired. So I'll see you lot later." Before the others could ask what he was talking about, he left to get something to eat before turning in early… leaving Su, Susan and Hermione to explain what he meant. It was no surprise that the others were shocked to learn that Harry was a Fire Mystic.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_31st March 1992:_

It'd been over a month since Harry sent the Stone off to the Flamels and things had settled down and become… well, pretty boring really. It became like a normal school experience should be, granted it was normal for a _magical_ school, but still, Harry found, to his surprise, he wanted something interesting to happen. The only event of note that happened was the group deciding they needed a leader, someone to be in charge so chaos didn't happen. The group at large nominated Harry, to his shock. He tried to say that Cedric, even Angelina or Alicia, (who joined recently thanks to Katie, because they were fellow Chasers on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team,) would be a better leader than him, because they were older and more experienced than him, but was rebuffed.

While the three agreed that they might know more than him at the moment, they also said that he and Hermione were rapidly approaching the point where they were intellectual equals, making his argument moot. After a long talk Harry was persuaded into becoming the leader of the group.

This made Harry smirk inside, sure he acted like he didn't want to be the leader of the group, as it would put him in the spotlight in the school, he was happy about it.

After learning that Harry was a Fire Mystic, Ember revealed to those who didn't know, that she too was a Mystic, one that controlled Gravity and had the powers of a Clairvoyance. They found these skills very interesting and useful, especially Ember's Clairvoyance being able to find people and things with ease.

The group thought it was fun to give the two Mystic in the groups nicknames, as from what they knew of them, most Mystics had their own nicknames. So they thought that they should give Harry and Ember one. For Harry it was Cedric who gave him a new nickname, and it was Vulcan. Cedric was someone who liked to read about the mythical gods and beings, seeing that many them had connections to the Wizarding Worlds like Werewolves, Mummies and many other things.

In fact Vulcan was one of the so called Roman Gods, he was meant to be the Roman God of beneficial and hindering fire, including the fire of volcanoes. He was in fact a powerful Fire Elementalist by the name of Vulcan Drusus. Seeing that Harry was also a Fire Elemental and a powerful one at that, Cedric thought it fitting that he should be nicknamed Vulcan.

The twins had fun when they learned this; whenever it was just their group around they started calling him 'Master Vulcan, God of Fire.' At first Harry was fine with it, but after two weeks non-stop of it, it became very annoying. In fact the final stew was when they passed a group of girls, they grabbed one of the girls when they were within arm's reach, and they would chant, "Oh Mighty God of Fire, we offer you this maiden in offering of your greatness." And they pushed the girl onto him.

Whilst the girl didn't seem to mind it too much, in fact she blushed as she sat in his lap for a few minutes, Harry was bothered by the man handling of the young Witch. Harry was taught that unless you paid the woman, or they done something, like attacking you first, you shouldn't ever manhandle a woman. To do so otherwise, shouldn't be tolerated. So the twins found themselves at the mercy of Harry's pranks, where they learnt fast not to man handle a woman again, unless they paid them or they did something to them first. Although Harry took it somewhat easy, seeing that it was more amusing seeing the girl they used in the twins joke on Harry, get her own back on them.

Another point of interest was about the dragon of Hagrid's, Caca. Sadly Charlie Weasley wasn't able to help them, as his team was on mission at the time. And wouldn't be able to help for a few months. So Harry had to send a letter to Bowser, who was able to help him. About a week later, the old Pit Boss sent a special Portkey to Harry to transport the dragon to him, and there Bowser would deal with it from there.

So on the twenty-ninth of March, Harry got the Portkey and later that night went to Hagrid's, where the Half-Giant had Caca ready for transport. Once Hagrid said goodbye to Caca, Harry Flamed the travelling crate that Caca was in, outside of the Hogwarts Wards, and used the Portkey to transport Caca to Bowser. That night was one where Harry slept for the longest time yet, as it took a lot of power to transport Caca, because of her own magical powers.

Harry found that the bond between Aneira and himself had gotten to the point that he could now feel her emotions if he tapped into their link. Harry was happy that the bond was growing, as it meant that they could start on Aneira's training. Because of how strong the bond between the two was, it meant that Harry couldn't spend as much time with Hedwig as he could his Tigran, but the bond with her had reached the same level, oddly enough. Even though Harry did try and spend time with her, he knew it wasn't the same with Aneira, the bond was different. Harry was amused to note that Hedwig acted quite jealous; she would try and out do Aneira in any way she could. She was known as the fastest owl in school already, arriving in the morning with mail or the Daily Prophet several minutes before the other owls in the morning, and always managed to look her best. She would also give him dead animals as presents. It was really amusing.

But now that the bond was strong enough, Harry could begin training Aneira in her powers. It wasn't much of course, seeing that the bond was just gotten strong enough for Aneira to start using her powers, but it was a start. Harry suspected that if she was an adult Tigran when Harry found her, they wouldn't have this problem, as she would have most of her powers already. That's the price you pay for gaining a familiar who's just a baby, or in Aneira's, a kitten - the animal's power is linked to their master and until the bond is strong enough, the animal couldn't do much as it could should they be in the wild. Whatever the case, the training had started at long last, and Harry found out that Aneira was able to create an icy fire to attack with.

Harry did wonder if he could create an icy fire too, it would be useful and interesting thing to do. Harry vowed when he got the time he would try and find out if he could or not.

Apart for his morning training with Ember, Susan and Hannah, and his new training with Aneira, at nights and when he was in his meditative state, he was working on his mindscape with Lucy. During the last month, they made a lot of work within the hell like cavern. Harry and Lucy created a throne for Harry to sit on for when he came here, which could be found in the centre of the island - it was made out of charred bone, red silk cushions and some kind of red leather for accents. On either side of the throne, were two red stone columns, alit with fire. Other than that, there was nothing on the island, it was an open landscape as of yet.

But the cavern itself, Harry and Lucy created tunnels, the tunnels were built to be like a maze, with strange red vines creeping around on the walls, and blocking entrance to certain places. Should someone touch them, they would lunge forward to try and impale whoever touched them. Some of the vines had bulbs that fired small thorns, that dripped with a venom that ate right through the cave floor, making it so the person would drop into a deep hole. They hadn't yet set up places to hide Harry's memories yet, apart for the most important ones, which were hidden elsewhere, in an underground cave and the entrance was the throne itself, you had push it in such a way to open it and enter the cave.

Sadly though, the quiet time ended at the end of March though. It was like a normal morning, Harry, Ember, Susan and Hannah, had just finished their normal training schedule, and were heading to the nearest bathrooms to clean up before breakfast.

As they were making their way back to the castle, Harry called out to Susan, "Hey Susan, can I have a word with you for a moment please."

"Sure Harry," Susan said with a smile, before turning to her friend, "go ahead Hannah, I'll catch up in a few moments."

"You go ahead too Ember, I need a few words with Susan about something, I'll see you at breakfast."

The two girls wondered what Harry wanted to talk to Susan about, but knew better than to ask, as they knew that Harry wouldn't say anything, unless he decided to. So with the two girls gone, Harry asked the young Hufflepuff, "Susan, I've been training you for a while now, and before I continue, I want to ask you something and I need a honest answer. If you don't answer honestly, I'll stop the training here and now."

"What is it that you want to know Harry?" Susan asked worriedly.

"What do you have planned once I finished training you?" Harry asked curiously, "Is it because you don't want to feel weak as you once felt before, or do you have something else planned." Susan was quiet about this, unsure how to answer this question, so Harry went on to say, "I don't care what you'll do, unlike others here, I don't see dark or light, but I need to understand what you're going to do with what I train you in - so I know how to train you in it. So is this training for revenge, or is it so you don't feel weak?"

It was like something clicked with Susan, a desire that she didn't want to admit to. She feared that should she open up and admit what she wanted, people would hate her and try to stop her, but here was someone who was willing to help her as long as she was willing to be honest about why she wanted his help. But before she could open her heart she needed to know something, so Susan asked Harry, "Why would you be willing to help me if I want to get revenge, shouldn't you be trying to stop me or something?"

"Listen I know that people mainly see me as the Boy-Who-Lived, and I should be a beacon of light and all that shit - but I am not." Harry told the young girl, "I unlike many, there are others out there that know that there's no such thing as Light or Dark, Good or Evil, just what the Powers That Be says it should be, for this case it's Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic, and anyone who disagrees are Dark and/or Evil. I have my own philosophy, it doesn't matter what you do in life as long as the path you decide to go down is the one you think is the right one for _you, _not for me, nor your family, or for anyone else, just for you.

"But you need to understand that whatever path you pick, there will be consequences to your actions and some people might not like what you have done. So always think about your actions before you decide to do something." Harry warned the young girl, knowing that some of his actions should people learn about them, wouldn't agree with them. "Like should you use what I teach you for revenge, people might not too be happy with what you done."

"What do you mean?" Susan asked her friend.

"Should you succeed in your revenge, you might be the one in trouble and not those who killed your family." Harry explained to Susan, "Instead of living your life in peace, the people who killed your family could send you to Azkaban. Remember, if they were able to stay free all this time, they'll have the money and power to send you to Azkaban. So you need to decide what you want to do carefully, and willing to accept the consequences of the choice that you make. So until you decide on your path, like me, think about what you want before you commit to something." The last part was a lie, he already knew what his path was going to be, but he wanted Susan to think about it. As it would mean a big change

Susan didn't say anything, but she knew that Harry was right, those who killed her parents had money and power in likes she did not. And they were willing to use that power to fit their needs, even to get themselves free from Azkaban and whatever else, something until now her family would not do. So the question becomes, what was she willing to do to get her revenge? What path would she go down, a path where she followed those like Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic, where people like the Malfoys could get away with things because they had power and/or money? Or go down a path she thought was right, even though others would not think the same and condemn her because of her actions?

"I don't know Harry," Susan admitted honestly, she wasn't sure what path she wanted to take, "I need to think about this."

"No problem, take some time off training to think, and when you decided what path you want to take come back to me." Harry told her, "Depending what path you want to take, I know a few tracks that you could learn."

"Thank you Harry, you are a good friend." Susan said with a smile, before something came to her, "Harry, you said that you don't know what path you want to take, so how do you know what I need to learn to take my revenge?"

"I was honest, I don't know what path I want to take," Harry easily lied, "but that doesn't mean I haven't learnt these skills. The person that is teaching me the skills I'm teaching you, is teaching me both the so called Light and Dark skills, as he says it is better to know them and not need them, than needing them and not knowing them. But I won't teach them to others unless they decide which path they want to take."

"But didn't you just say that it is better to know them and not need them, than needing them and not knowing them?" Susan asked confused.

"I did say that," Harry admitted, "but look at how I was treated after I killed the Troll. What do you think people will react if someone found out about these extra skills, they would think I am a Dark Lord in training or something, and what do you think would happen then? No it's better only those who I believe who I truly trust and need to know should know about them, can I trust you Susan not to tell the others?" Harry asked the young Hufflepuff, using her House beliefs against her.

"Of course you can trust me not to say anything Harry." Susan told her friend, as she knew that he was right. It was bad enough people thought he was a Dark Lord in training for killing the Troll to save not only himself, but Hermione and Ember. But if people learnt what Harry really was capable of, or even believed he was, they might actually believe that Harry was a Dark Lord in training. So it might be better if only she, his friends and those who he trusted to tell, should know about this side of him. She beamed at the thought that Harry trusted her enough to tell her this, she wouldn't break that trust for anything.

"Thanks Susan," Harry smiled at her, "now let's get cleaned up and get something to eat."

And with that the two of them caught up with their friends who were waiting for them at the castle doors, where they went to get cleaned up and went to the Great Hall to get breakfast. As the group was having breakfast, the post arrived, for Harry he wasn't suspecting any post.

Apart from the normal mail owls the Great Hall was shocked to see a vulture of all things fly in and land in front of Harry, a small package on its leg. While Harry was blinking stupidly at the bird, the carrion's beady eyes were locked onto Errol, the Weasley's elderly own who'd delivered a letter to Percy with eyes that just seemed to say, "Tonight. _You_." followed by licking its lips in hunger, which made the poor old owl shuffle around, trying to avoid its gaze.

Harry eventually took the package and opened it, his eyes widening further when a blood red stone the size of a gold ball landed in his hand.

Hermione goggled at it, taking her eyes off the bird that was still leering at a very nervous Errol, looking as if death was staring at it. "I-is that the Ph-Philosopher's Stone?" She asked incredulously, never expecting to see the thing again.

Harry, just as caught off guard as her replied, "I don't know." He decided to read the note, hoping for an answer, and did so in a voice loud enough for Hermione to hear. This, consequently, let the entire silent Hall hear, since his voice was the only sound being made.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_I thank you for returning my Stone to us, but to be honest with you I was shocked that I would ever see it again. You see, my wife, Perenelle and I have, after a long talk, decided that after living for over six hundred years we've seen and done so much that it was time for us to leave this world, or as I say, move on to the next Great Adventure. However, we couldn't bear destroying our precious Stone ourselves, and would keep using it if we still had it, even if we didn't desire to do so. So we sent the Stone to Albus, asking him to destroy it for us. However, we never thought that he would use it as bait and endanger students of the school, so I would like to thank you for removing the Stone from Hogwarts._

_So as thanks, we've altered our Will to add you four for doing so:_

_To Hermione Granger: We've done a bit of research about you, and we found you're an excellent student and known bibliophile. Taking this into account, we've gifted you a good portion of the Flamel Library, on the condition that you share the books with your friends._

_To Su Li: We've met your family in the past and worked with them on several occasions; we even discovered they were one of our descendants! So we're more than happy to gift you with our books on Battle Magic. To help you to further your studies, we've hired you a teacher to help you this summer._

_To Susan Bones: We know of your family, and our two families were once allies. But over time things happened and we lost track of your family. We know that your family has lost many of its Heirlooms, but over the centuries we've been able to track them down. We always meant to give them back, but we always got a lead on a new one and said to ourselves that we would wait until we'd acquired that item before gifting them back. So send you all we got now to you, and send you any more that we may find before our death._

_To Ember Vile: We've learnt that you have no family or money, so we be give you one of our cottages. The cottage in question is in a forest, which only the Goblins know about, so when you are of age, go to them and they'll lead you to the cottage. The cottage has some small plots of land so you can grow whatever you like on, even raise some animals if you want. We have left a few books to show you how to take care of the land and the cottage._

_The above items are in a vault in your names in Gringotts, the keys are in this package…_

_Lastly, to Harry Potter: We are very grateful for what you have done, and so we leave our Philosopher's Stone to you. We were unsure what to do with the Stone, but Perenelle is a bit of a Seer, not a skilled one, but she still has a bit of the skill and she saw that you would need all the help that you can get against the threats that you'll face in your life._

_Signing off for the last time,_

_Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel._

As Harry finished the letter, he, the girls named in the will, their group and the people who heard the letter (that being effectively everyone) were in shock. No one knew about the Philosopher's Stone being at Hogwarts, and now it was here in front of Harry Potter. This just made him even more famous for now being in possession of the legendary Stone. But the older students were shocked that the ancient couple would give a priceless magical item to an eleven year old. So it was no surprise that this became the new hot topic and whispers begun to spread around the Hall. Within minutes, the news of what the vulture brought was known by everyone.

At the Staff Table Dumbledore sent Harry suspicious looks when he saw the Stone, so did the other Professors who knew it was at Hogwarts. The Stone should be safely hidden and protected on the third floor corridor, so they had to wonder how Harry was able to get it. Whilst the Professors were thinking about it Dumbledore was worried as many of his plans were ruined now.

He was using the Stone to lure Professor Quirrell into getting the Stone, as he knew that Quirrell was possessed by Tom Riddle, now known as Voldemort. He wanted them to face Harry down in the Mirror Chamber, as he wanted to see how well Harry would do facing the tasks he had the other Professors set up and to let Harry know that Tom was still alive in such a way that would also centre Voldemort's attention back on Harry. However, if what he was hearing was true, he'd already failed. The Flamels left it to him in their Will and legally, he couldn't take it from Harry. And as he looked at the young boy, he saw him mouth _'Stick Two!' _

Dumbledore knew then that he had lost another chance to gain the boy's trust. As the old Headmaster thought about it, this was another crush in a long line of flaming wrecks that were once his schemes, really. Harry hasn't been following his plans for a while; he wasn't friends with Ronald Weasley anymore, he was making friends with other houses - something he didn't want to happen because he wanted Harry to rely on Ronald for all his information about the Magical World, which would all be filtered through from Dumbledore himself of course. So many schemes not going according to plan, all because Potter had to become a Mystic, and made friends out of his control. If Potter didn't become a Mystic, or made friends with Dumbledore had some control over, the Boy-Who-Lived would no doubt have never started digging himself out of the nasty hole Dumbledore wanted him in, endlessly reaching out for aid, but only getting Dumbledore's useless but seemingly helpful assistance.

As for Quirrell himself, he was staring at the Boy-Who-Lived in shock. He'd been planning to get the Stone for his Master and the only problem he'd had was finding two of the tasks that was protecting the Stone. Professor Flitwick's and Mcgonagall's tasks were the only ones he didn't know about. The two Professors didn't trust him enough to tell him what they were, and so was taking time he didn't have to get the Stone for his Master.

But now though it would seem that his luck was picking up at last, as somehow Potter now had the Stone, and all he had to do was to take it off him. His thoughts mirrored the being on the back of his head, confirmed when a voice the rest of the Staff Table head hissed, _"Get the SSStone!"_

Before any of the Hogwarts Staff could react, Quirrell scrambled over the table, pulling his wand as he did so. The students only turned to look at the previously meek man when he screamed without his customary stammer, "That Stone rightfully belongs to my Master, Potter! Hand it over!" and launched a Slicing Charm that cut a jagged line where Harry's hands were. Luckily, the last Potter Heir, as well as Hermione and the twins who were in range of the curse, pulled their hands back before the curse hit, leaving their plates to get carved in half by the spell.

As the other professors were still in shock, Quirrell conjured up a burst of Dark Fire around the Head Table so they couldn't interfere for a bit. By the time they were able to remove the Dark Fire, he would have gotten the Stone and lift Hogwarts. Once he did this, he looked at Potter as the other students that weren't a part of Harry's group made sure the others got out safely. "Give me the Stone so I can give it to the Dark Lord, if you do, I'll let you live for now." Quirrell offered.

"How rude," Harry said as if nothing happened as he sat back down to eat his breakfast, as the students ran out of the Great Hall in fear. While his friends were making sure that the students were getting out safely, "We were having breakfast, talking and receiving our mail, and you had to attack us. Didn't your mother teach you any manners when you were little?"

As he said this, the professors, his friends and the students who hadn't yet left, looked at Harry as if had he gone mad; he was acting so calm and controlled. It seemed as if he didn't have any worries at all, like someone trying to kill him was an everyday sort of thing. In a way it used to be like that for Harry, as before he found out about his powers, Vernon's abuse was occasionally lethal and Harry only avoided this grim death at the hands of his uncle through practiced means until Vernon's slow brain would realize that he couldn't explain away his nephew's death like he could all his injuries. That and he threatened the man's family of being burnt alive should the attacks continued.

Another thing, Harry never did like Quirrell, there was something off about the man as if he was hiding something. Harry might not be sure what it was, but he knew that something was off. For someone who was meant to be their Defence Professor he was jumpy and weary of things, constantly fearing something was going to jump out of the shadows. Harry knew that someone meant to help them fight the _Dark Arts_ shouldn't be acting like this and if he was, it was some kind of act to lower people's guard around him. This was something Harry wouldn't allow himself to do, and now he was grateful that he didn't. He was calm for a very simple reason; if he allowed his fear to take over he would make mistakes, mistakes that would get people hurt, more importantly get himself hurt or killed - so he would remain calm.

Either way, Quirrell was angry at how Potter talked to him and how he was acting. In retaliation he sent another Slicing Charm at Potter. The man faltered when Potter avoided the curse with a casual lean.

"Is that the best that you can do Quirrell? The standards around here for Professors are terrible." Harry mocked.

"You think you're so smart and cocky, defying the Dark Lord! Let me show you what happens to people who get in his way!" Quirrell snarled in rage as several spirals of darkness came from his hand, that headed towards Harry.

Upon seeing this, Harry waved his hands and magically lifted the plates near him that took the spirals of darkness, turning the plates into dust. The Weasley Twins reacted first, chaining together their massive arsenal of pranking spells. Su followed a split second later, her spells were unknown to everyone but possibly the trapped Staff, but the damage done to the castle when Quirrell dodged them was startling. Susan and Hannah were casting Shield Charms to protect the remaining students, and those who were escaping from stray spells, whilst Hermione was throwing Tripping Jinxes at the rogue professor whenever she could. Ember was helping the students to escape. Harry was helping by throwing his own fire spells, using his wand, and taunting the older man.

But Quirrell proved to be surprisingly powerful, as he used the darkness and the shadows to protect himself, and was barely taking any damage despite the assault from so many sides. What they didn't know was that Quirrell had feasted on even more Forcibly Taken unicorn blood the previous evening, which boosted by the effects.

And with a wave of his hand, a mist of darkness appeared within the Great Hall, making it near impossible to see. So they weren't able to see where the attacks were coming from, here Harry called out, "Everyone get down, and take cover behind the tables!"

"Do you really think that'll stop me, I can see through the mist whilst you cannot." Quirrell said with a dark laughter, "My Master has given me the power to do things you can only dream of."

"Oh please," Harry scoffed at this, "to see in the dark, all you need is to add a bit of light onto things." And with that Harry, used his fire element and light up the dark mist, making it so that people could see the outlines within the mist.

This angered Quirrell, and he threw a few dark energy balls at Harry, as he shouted, "Die!"

This forced Harry to create a powerful firewall to block the dark energy ball, which barely stopped them. As Harry blocked them, Harry remembered what Syrio Forel told him about Death and calmly as possible he faced Quirrell and said, "Not today, I won't die."

At this point Harry and the others heard a strange force coming from the back of Quirrell's head, _"You fool, you are ussselessss."_

It was like someone took over Quirrell's body, as he started to move faster as the darkness surrounded him, and formed a scythe out of the darkness, and begun to fly in the air. He then flew at Harry, swinging the scythe at the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry was barely able to summon a sword to block the scythe, and countered with a fireball at the Dark Wizard. But he blocked the fireball with a wall of darkness, and out of the wall came daggers, which Harry had to roll out of the way before they hit him. But the daggers didn't hit the floor like normal ones would, but instead they followed him.

The daggers chased after Harry, who had to duck and weave, the last time though Harry used his magic to pull up the table at the last second, which made the daggers go into it. Harry found the fight against Quirrell nothing like he had faced before. Seeing that magic wasn't doing much, he tried to use physical force to deal with Quirrell. But he wasn't able to do much with the magic being used, other than ducking and weaving, until Ember used her powers to distract Quirrell so Harry could get close to the mad man. In doing so, it gave Harry the chance he needed to get hold of Quirrell before he attacked again.

Quirrell glared at the Blood Traitors and at the little Mudblood Bitches who dared to get in his way to get the Stone for his Master. He had to admit that they were good, if left alone would be a danger to his Master's plans, so this had to end now, and he would do so by killing the one who destroyed his Master the first time: Harry Potter. Gathering his magic he needed he cried out the name of his spell, "Avada Ked-ugh!" Only to be interrupted by Potter as the boy slammed into him; sending him to the floor. He briefly looked up, only to see Potter's fist screaming towards his face.

As Harry took a hold of Quirrell's arm the Boy-Who-Lived was shocked to see Quirrell's arm blistered when he pulled his hand back as the man began to scream. While he was looking at Quirrell's blistered arm, the man in question seemed to stop screaming, taking deep breaths to control the pain. As he did so, Quirrell looked at the boy who caused him the pain with loathing and anger, summered a dark dagger to thrust into Harry.

But Harry noticed this action and reacted quickly, and without thinking, as Harry pinned Quirrell's arm down and grasped his neck. Harry ignored the sharp tingling feeling that he begun to feel in both of his hands. Within seconds, Quirrell was screaming in pain as he slowly burned alive.

Harry didn't know what to suspect, he thought that he thought that whatever this power was, would leave the man badly burnt and unconscious. But within seconds of holding the man, there was nothing but ash left behind, which revealed a Dark Wraith that rose out of the ash like some kind of twisted phoenix before fleeing Hogwarts.

As the wraith fled, the Dark Flames began to disappear, allowing the Professors free. At the same time, Harry's friends rushed over to see if he was okay. "Harry, Harry, are you alright?" Asked a concerned Hermione as she looked him over. He was panting heavily, and his hands both looked a little raw, but he didn't appear to be injured.

"I'm… alright." Harry answered slowly, feeling a bit weak.

"What was the hell was that thing that came out of Quirrell?" Cedric wondered as he stared at the wall it had fled through.

"I have no idea," Harry replied honestly.

"That was the wraith of Lord Voldemort." they heard from behind them, all but Harry, Hermione and Su flinched at the name, as they turned round they saw Dumbledore behind them, "It seems that the late Professor Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort."

"So that was Voldemort… interesting." Harry muttered to himself before speaking up, "So what happened to him? Why did he become ash when I touched him?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "I would prefer if we talked about this in my office. The fewer people that know about this ability specifics the better. If you want to tell your friends about this later, although I prefer you didn't, you can do so later."

Harry would have preferred to have his hands looked at first, but the old fool could possibly give him information on an invaluable weapon against the man who was probably going to be dead set on killing him. "Alright, lead the way." He accepted the offer before they were off, Dumbledore leading Harry to his office.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_20th of June 1992 - Hogwarts Express:_

Once they were both seated, Dumbledore explained that the reason Quirrell turned to ash when Harry touched him was because his mother's sacrifice. When Harry gave him a strange look, Dumbledore explained that because of Harry's mother's love when she died, because of Quirrell's unique situation of being possessed he, as a proxy of Voldemort, could not stand Harry's touch. Harry didn't believe a word of it, because he found it laughably implausible that his mother was the only mother to love her son enough to sacrifice themselves for their children - he suspected that thousands died protecting, or even directly shielding, their children only to have their lives snuffed out by Voldemort or his men anyway.

Then Dumbledore tried to get the Philosopher's Stone from Harry, telling Harry that it would be safer with him than it was with Harry. He had a valid point, Harry would be made a target by those desiring to possess the Stone once word got out that he had it. That valid point fell flat when Harry flat out told him no; that the Stone was safer with him if four first years could get the Stone from Dumbledore already. Dumbledore was flustered, and insisted he be given the Stone, this time on grounds that Harry wasn't ready for such a large responsibility so suddenly, but Harry wished the Headmaster a good day and left the office in response. He left a dumbfounded Headmaster and several dozen snickering portraits behind him.

The rest of the year went back to normal; with training, school work and such, to be honest Harry found himself to be bored out of his skull. The only fun part was for Harry was for when he went to his club now and then. But a few weeks after getting the Stone, Susan came to him and admitted that after thinking about it non-stop about what he told her, and decided she was willing to take the path of revenge and the risks that go with it. As if she didn't do anything, her parents would have no justice, and she couldn't live with the thought that the people who killed them would be free. So she was willing to take the path of revenge, and risk the consequences if any.

He noticed that Hermione's attitude had changed, becoming more clingy towards him. Harry could only guess it was because he'd saved her three times now; twice from mountain trolls and again against Quirrellmort - the nickname the braver fraction of the student body had given him - and was determined to pay him back somehow.

But by the end of the school year she eventually eased up. Harry had reminded her that he was staying with her family, thanking her again for the opportunity, and it seemed to click that she was already helping him a large deal. She still stuck close to him, but she wasn't constantly trying to help him with things. Harry could live with that. She did make it known that she was planning on helping him work out some sort of plan so he would never have to go back to his relatives. Harry told her that she didn't have to, as he had friends near where he lived, and as he said before, with the threat he made when he was younger, his relatives weren't a problem. Hermione wasn't happy with the idea, but was happy for him, but reminded Harry that the offer was there. And should things get too much, she would be there for him should he need her.

There were only two other points of interest, the first Harry learnt was that because Ember didn't have a family, or a real place to stay, the Headmaster arranged it so that she would be staying at the Weasleys. Harry didn't like the idea, seeing how Ron was acting towards him, as he wasn't sure how he would treat her when he wasn't around. The only thing that gave him comfort was that the twins would be there to look after her, so he wasn't too bad and if Ron did give her problems, Harry would deal with him.

The other thing of interest that happened was that the Mystic Knights and The Department of Magical Law Enforcement came to investigate about the death of Quirrell. When Harry and his friends told them about the Stone and the so called protections, the Law Enforcement investigated the third floor corridor, but found nothing of the tasks left. Dumbledore admitted about having the Stone, and that until Christmas it was at Hogwarts and was protected by a Cerberus, but it was removed when he was able to find a better place.

Yes he was meant to destroy it but, like any other human being who knew about it, he wanted to know how it was made and it was his plan to learn how before destroying it. As he knew that whilst people wanting the Philosopher's Stone for ill gain were still out there, he knew it should be destroyed. But he knew that at some point in life, people would might need the Philosopher's Stone for its other abilities such as its ability to heal. And so they would need his notes to create a new Stone.

When asked how Harry and his friends got the Philosopher's Stone, the old Headmaster told the Law Enforcement he didn't know how they got the Stone, or lied how they got it. With no physical proof to say otherwise, no one could do anything against Albus Dumbledore, not even Harry's memories could be used, as there are those out there who had the ability to alter memories so that people could think it really happened to them, and there was no way to tell.

So whilst the Mystic Knights and The Department of Magical Law Enforcement gave the Headmaster an earful about not knowing about Quirrell sooner, and about hiring the man in the first place seeing that he had no skill in teaching Defence, Dumbledore got free. But when the old man tried to overturn the Flamel's will, he wasn't allowed to as it was magically binding and nothing could be done about it.

Although Harry suspected that the Flamel's faked their own death for whatever reason, and had another Philosopher's Stone, and in a few hundred odd years or so would pop up again. As he could see someone would give living forever up easily when there was so much to see and discover in the world. His friends weren't sure about this, they could understand his reasoning, but a few thought that they had enough of living for so long and decided to end it all. They knew that they may never know the truth unless they too used Philosopher's Stone to live for hundreds of years, and to see the Flamel's to reappear.

Anyway, it was the end of term and Harry was sitting in the end compartment of the train, waiting for his friends to meet up with him. But as he was waiting for them, he was thinking about the last year at Hogwarts, and had to admit to himself that in part it was more interesting than he first thought it would be. It wasn't long before Ember Susan, Hannah and Hermione joined him in the compartment, as the train left Hogsmeade Station to return to London.

As Harry thought about it, the last thing of interest that happened at Hogwarts was, that what once were horseless carriages before, weren't horseless anymore. They were being pulled by huge winged horses with white shining eyes, dragonish faces and necks, and skeletal black bodies.

Susan was the one that told them that the creatures were known as Thestrals, and only could be seen if a person had seen death. So seeing Quirrell's death, made it so that they and the others who saw it, were able to see the Thestrals now. Harry asked why he wasn't able to see them before, seeing that he killed the Troll. Susan admitted that with the magic that Thestrals used, no one understood it, just that some deaths would allow people to see them, whilst other deaths would not.

Either way, the train had left Hogsmeade Station about half an hour ago, and Harry chuckled at the memory of the Sorting, he liked how he pulled his first prank at Hogwarts, on the Headmaster no less. As he chuckled, his friends looking at him strangely as he did so, giving him looks of. "I was just remembering the Sorting."

"Ah," Susan began. "I still can't believe that you pulled that prank on Professor Dumbledore."

"Well it did lighten things up a bit, didn't it Hannah?" Harry asked.

Hannah smiled as she remembered that night, it did help her to get Sorted, "Yeah it did, and thanks again for the prank, it did help with getting Sorted."

"I have to admit, it did help lighten the mood and help people calm down." Hermione admitted. When Harry first told them about the prank he pulled, she wasn't too happy about it, but as she thought about it logically, she could see how it lightened the mood and made the Sorting much easier. "Although I have to ask, did you have to rile up Professor Snape in the first class?" Hermione asked as she too remembered her first week at Hogwarts, "It might not have made things so bad between the two of you."

"Oh please Hermione, he would hate me no matter what," Harry scoffed at what Hermione said, "all because of whatever my father did to him. At least my way we have a better class than past students had."

Hermione scoffed at this, not liking that Harry's argument was right, that his actions forced Snape to make the class safer and better. Either way the group talked for a bit before Harry said, "I'm going to rest for a while, could you wake me when the trolley lady comes by?"

"Why are you going to sleep? You only got up a few hours ago." Ember asked her friend.

"I only got a few hours of sleep." Harry replied with a shrug.

"Alright, we'll wake you when the trolley lady comes by." Susan said softly.

"Thanks." He said gratefully as he laid his head back and went to sleep.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_20th of June 1992 - Merlin's Station:_

During the next few hours, the Weasley Twins and the Crimson Vixens Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell, from Gryffindor and Su and Cedric, visited them. Seeing how they were, and their plans for the summer, before heading off to see how their other friends were.

"Harry, Harry wake up, the trolley lady is here." Hermione's voice called out to Harry.

As Harry slowly woke up and rubbed his eyes he yawned before he ordered what he wanted, "Thanks Hermione." He thanked her, and then the trolley lady as he grabbed his purchases and sat back down.

"So what have you lot planned for the summer?" Harry asked his friends, as he began to eat and drink his purchases.

That's how they spent their remaining hours on the train; talking about their holiday plans. Susan was going to spend some time with her aunt before going to Hannah's where they would go to Greece for a few weeks before returning to get their school things. Su was going to China to learn more Battle Magic with her family and her new tutor before returning to get her school items. Ember was going to stay at the Weasleys for the summer, so she had no solid plans for now. Harry answered that he really didn't have any solid plans, since he was going to be spending his summer with the Grangers. His plans were whatever theirs were. They all agreed to keep in contact over the summer, and if possible, meet up.

Now before they knew it, they had arrived at Merlin's Station.

Once they arrived at the station the Twins bid them goodbye before looking for their friend Lee. Susan, Hannah, Su, and Alicia were Flooing home right away, so they gave their goodbyes right there in the compartment, giving hugs and well wishes before they grabbed their trunks and left. While they were packing Cedric popped in to grab his trunk and give his own goodbyes, thankful he was able to catch the group before they all left.

Only Harry, Hermione, Ember, Angelina and Katie were left to make their way through the portal to Kings Cross Station. Angelina and Katie decided to part ways in a very memorable way as they both hugged Harry, kissing his cheeks at the say time before skipping away through the portal. Ember was picked up by Professor Mcgonagall, to go with the rest of the Weasleys to meet the elder Weasley. Ember said she would write and arrange to meet him later on in the summer. With only Harry and Hermione left, Hermione asked, "Are you ready to meet my parents and spend the summer with them Harry?"

"Yeah." Harry said slowly with a smile. "I hope they'll like me."

"I'm sure they will, they seemed to like you when they met you at Christmas." Hermione assured him. "Come on, they're probably already here. They said they would meet us at the cafes we met them at before."

And with that the two of them went through the portal.

_**TO BE CONTINUED!**_

_**( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) End of Year One! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**_

_**Author's Note:**_Here is the tenth and final part of The Blood Stone Saga, I hope you like the saga as much I enjoyed writing it, and I would like to thank you for reading it so far. There's only an Interlude left, and then part one of the new saga called The Serpent's Lair Saga will begin, because the Interlude hasn't been written yet, I don't know how long it'll take to write so please spare with me.

I'm not going to ask for help in this chapter, I leave that to the next chapter, instead I want to comment about a few reviews I had, some were removed because I considered them as flaming, saying more or less the same thing. Now whilst there are many of you who enjoyed the new version of this story and seem to think that it is better than the last two, there are some who don't. And there are few who think that my spelling and grammar is bad.

First off let's get my spelling and grammar out of the way, as I have said many times in my works when this comes up, I am dyslexic and so my spelling _**WILL **_be bad, and nothing I can do can really change it. I rely heavily on spell checks and my Beta Reader on making sure that the spelling is right, and so if my Beta Reader doesn't catch the problem, I just think that there's no spelling mistakes. As for my grammar, once again I told you all before in my works, or I believe I did, I had a bad schooling and so I wasn't able to learn about grammar properly, so if I made a mistake in it, I would not know - I write it as I think it should. I rely heavily on any Beta Readers I have to make sure that the grammar is right, if they don't alter it, or say that it is ok, I have no option but to trust them. As I would have no way to know otherwise. So if you find a problem, either point out what the problem is and how to make it right, or offer to become my Beta Reader so you can fix the problems. If you can't do either of those two things, please shut the hell up, I know I have problems with spelling and grammar. What I need is someone who is willing to help me, not people who'll moan and bitch about it. _**(Beta's Note: Well said bro.)**_

*Sigh* sorry about that, but I have mentioned this a few times before, to have people to keep on about it and not offer help, is getting on my nerves.

Now onto about people wanting me to go back to my old version as they think that this version is shit, and I ruined it. First off let me get this out of the way, I told you at the start of this version I didn't like how the last version was going, and I had to rewrite the story or abandon the story, and seeing how much I like this story I just couldn't abandon it and so I had to rewrite the story to fit my new needs for the story.

The main reason I didn't like the last versions are twofold, the first is that I didn't like how I wrote Harry's childhood. I believed it lacked detail of why things happened, like the reason why Harry became dark as he was. It didn't show enough to make Harry's character believable, or at least I thought so. Not only that, but I didn't think that the last version explained about Lucy that well, which I think this version did. And I didn't like how I dealt with Harry's friends becoming the Outcasts and becoming dark. I don't know if I'll make it any better in this version, but I am going to try and make it better, if I do or not, I'll have to wait and see,

The second and the main reason I didn't like the last versions is that Harry, and later on his friends, were too overpowered, and had no one who could easily stand against them, be Voldemort and his Death Eaters, or Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix. So I created the Mystics to balance the scales a bit, and added a few extra powers to the Wizarding World, so that Harry and his group wouldn't be overpowered for someone of their age, and so they had to work to become stronger.

You might not believe me or not, but I have _**always **_wanted a group of people that'll fight against Harry and his friends, a group that had their own kind of powers. I often tried to create a group to oppose Harry, but I wasn't really getting anywhere with the idea. I'll admit that before I got the Mystics, I had a Beta Reader who was helping me to create a group and rewrite the story to fit them in, but two things happened. The first was that the laptop that I had at the time crashed and I lost all my work on it. The other problem is that the Beta Reader that I was using disappeared, so I couldn't get the ideas for the group or the rewrite back from them, and so I had to once again try and come up with another group, which took time and finally came up with the Mystics.

Now I'm going to surprise you all, up 'til now I've been defending my reasons for the rewrite, but now I'm going to admit, yes you heard me right, _**admit **_that I have a few problems with the story. The main problem is that I over did it with Harry becoming Maverick, and how I dealt with creating the Mystics. But with a decent Beta Reader, or someone willing to help me, at the time, I wasn't able to write them into the story properly.

So to solve this problem, I'm looking for a Co-Writer to help me write this, so if you are interested please let me know, and I hope you can help me make this story better from here on out. I know many of you would want me go back to the old version, but I got what I want in this version and not sure how to add it in the old one.

Anyway, I'm sorry for the little rant of mine, but I wanted to clear this up, and explain why I did the rewrite again. So I would like to thank you all once again for reading the chapter, and I hope that you'll spare a few moments and leave a review letting me know what you think of the story so far.

_**Next Time on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ In the next chapter, we have the Interlude about Dumbledore and his thoughts about the past year. (So if there's any key points that you think Dumbledore would need to think about, or how I should write the next chapter, please let me know ASAP…)


	19. Interlude - Albus Dumbledore - Part 2

_**Interlude…**_

_**Albus Dumbledore - Part 2!**_

_10th of September 2011 - The Headmaster's Office:_

Our chapter begins with two Albus Dumbledore's, within his office surrounded by staff members, one Albus was sitting in his chair, with a newly formed beard growing. The other Albus had a two inch beard, who was looking around the room, taking mental notes as he looked around, not only that but everyone in the room, even the other Headmaster, didn't see the other Albus Dumbledore.

The people in the room were having a Staff Meeting about the first week of the term, it had been a few hours since the meeting started, and the only people left to talk were the School Healer and the Head Professors. It was the Albus Dumbledore with the newly formed beard growing, who said, "Before we hear from the last four of our Professors, Madam Pomfrey, could you tell us, how are the students coming along? Is there any incidents we should know about?"

A Witch with brown greying hair, wearing a Victorian nurse's uniform, wearing a cloth around her hair, said, "As suspected for the first week of Hogwarts, a few injuries here and there, mainly fights between Gryffindor and Slytherin." Here she gave the Dumbledore that was seated, Snape and McGonagall a look to say that they could have prevented these fights if they'd done more, but she didn't say anything about it as she knew it wouldn't get her anywhere.

Instead she went on to say, "There's also the suspected homesick students who haven't left home before, I'm suspecting more over the next few months, but I should have the potions to deal with them. I also should have enough potions to inoculate the Muggle Borns that haven't been inoculated yet. But I would like a few more potions just in case."

"I'll have the potions made for you Poppy," said the visible Dumbledore, "is there anything else?"

"Yes, I was wondering what happened to the Gryffindor/Slytherin Potion Class yesterday?" Poppy asked her boss, "As I often get at least two or three students from the first year class, so I was wondering what happened?"

"The Potter brat, he is what happened to the class?" sneered the Potion Master. He was truly unhappy that he was forced to change how he ran his class, never before had that happened, and he hated it. He would make the brat pay some day, if it was the last thing he did. It was like James Potter all over again. Because of who he was, the Potter brat believed he could do whatever he wanted, just like his father. But worse, he was the so called Boy-Who-Lived, and people would bend over backwards for him and the brat knew it too - which is why he could force him to change how the Potion Master ran his class.

Here Minerva McGonagall went on to explain what happened yesterday, and how Harry Potter threatened Dumbledore and Snape about making changes to the Potion Classes and what would happen if the changes didn't happen. Once McGonagall finished telling everyone what happened, whilst they didn't agree on how the Boy-Who-Lived made the changes happen, they couldn't deny that they were happy that the changes did happen, the School Healer was the happiest of them all.

"About time someone forced this change," Madam Pomfrey said with a sigh of relief, "you've had too many students come to me because of Potions accidents. Accidents that could be prevented if you would have done your job properly, Severus."

"It's not my fault that the dunderheads can't follow instructions." Snape sneered at the School Healer.

"I know what your so called instructions are, telling people to follow what is on the blackboard and nothing else." The Healer told the Potion Master, "That's not teaching, as young Mr. Potter told you, you need to tell the students the reasons why you have to do something, and the dangers of not doing so. That's the reasons I get most students in the Hospital Wing, because you don't teach them as you should. It's not like most of the students who come here have ever known about Potions before, or have been taught how to make potions before. It is _your _job to teach those who don't know about potions, to learn about the dangers of Potion Making, and why things are done in such a way. Whilst I don't agree with how Mr. Potter did it, I am glad that someone had the power to force you to change how you teach."

Here many of the Professors nodded, as they all knew what Severus Snape was like at teaching, but none of them could do anything about it. As either Albus would stop them somehow, and if they could get past their boss somehow and went to the Board of Governors, the Governors would not do anything because of Lucius Malfoy, and those who trust Dumbledore to do the right thing. So nothing changed. But with Harry being the Boy-Who-Lived, the Board of Governors would want to keep Harry happy and would do anything to do so. So if Hogwarts Potion Master didn't want to get on the bad end of the Governors, he would want to make the changes.

"Potter is nothing more than like his…" began Snape before Dumbledore interrupted him, "Severus, this isn't the time for your beliefs about young Harry. This is about the first week, so please keep the talks to that matter. So Minerva…" and with that the meeting went back about the classes.

When the Head Professors got to the first years, other than Severus Snape, they praised Harry for doing so well in their class. Although Pomona Sprout, who taught Herbology, said that Neville Longbottom was the best in Herbology, although Harry wasn't too far behind. McGonagall was happy to praise how Harry helped in his first class, and he made it easier for them to learn to turn a matchstick into a needle.

After a while the meeting was over, and all the Professors, other than the Headmaster, left the office. And when the meeting was over, the Albus Dumbledore that no one could see disappeared.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_20th of June 2012- Headmaster's Office:_

The Albus Dumbledore that had a two inch beard, that disappeared from his office where the meeting had been held, reappeared in his office and begun to pace in a circle around his desk. The difference was that the date was 20th of June 2012 not 10th of September 2011. Albus Dumbledore's mind was a chaotic mess of churning thoughts that rampaged like blustering whirlwinds. He had come out of his Pensieve after viewing the memory of the first Staff Meeting of the year. It would seem that the Potter brat had already made a good standing amongst the other Professors, other than Snape, with knowing what he was doing, and willing to help other students in their class.

This wasn't the Harry Potter he had hoped for, when he first got the note from him before he came to Hogwarts, Albus had thought it was Potter being all talk or something, and he was giving Hagrid a show. To show people that he wasn't a meek and weak boy, so that people would think he was more independent than he really was. But it wasn't an act, not one bit.

His weapon against Voldemort was as independent as hell, and was just as powerful for someone his age. Something was against fully, as it meant that he couldn't fully control him as he would have liked. He had to wonder how the hell did he miss this, there must have been signs that he missed, signs that showed he had become powerful and independent over the years.

Dumbledore pressed the tip of his wand lightly against his wrinkled forehead and closed his eyes in concentration, searching for the right memory. There it was! Just as a fisherman would catch and reel in a fish, the professor grabbed a hold of the memory tightly with his magic and pulled. As he removed his wand, a small, shimmering strand of magic twisted slightly, attached to its tip.

He dropped the memory lightly into the pool of enchanted water. The liquid rippled out from the centre, until Dumbledore's reflection was replaced by images of the memories he'd selected. He also poured in a few memories from Mrs. Arabella Figg, the Squib that he planted near Harry, to keep an eye on the Boy-Who-Lived. Maybe in his and Figg's memories, there was something to let the old Wizard know what he had missed. Albus wasn't suspecting to find anything as he had looked at them a few times already and found nothing, but he hoped that taking a look at the memories again after taking a break he would find something that he missed the first few times.

At first he thought his plans seemed to be going fine, sure he seemed to be too smart and independent for his liking, and was able to make one change he didn't want: forcing Snape to alter his class. (The Headmaster knew that Snape couldn't teach, but that was the point. As the part of his plan was to make sure there wasn't many Potion Master's around, so that there couldn't be more Dark Magic Users around, or those who would go against him.) But even if this was the case, he was friends with Ronald Weasley, who was in part of his plan, seeing he was from a Light Family. It was Ronald's job to keep Harry from making friends with anyone that the Headmaster didn't agree with, and become Potter's best friend. But that didn't go to plan, as the Boy-Who-Lived made friends with Ember Vile, a young Mystic who had the power over gravity, who helped with defeating a group of Dark Mystics who attacked the Hogwarts Express.

But soon Albus learnt that things weren't going to be as easy as he thought it would be to keep most of his plans together, as over the next few months since the start of Hogwarts, things changed, and they changed fast. Potter became friends with a few others, like Antony (Tony) Booth, Hermione Granger. It wasn't part of the Headmaster's plan, but it was bound to happen seeing that they were in the same house and seeing how independent the boy was, he wouldn't be able to stop it.

But a few weeks into the first term, the Boy-Who-Lived made friends with the one person the Headmaster _didn't_ want Potter to be friends with: Susan Bones. Her family was one that whilst Light, was one of the few families that didn't agree with his methods of dealing things, and often fought against him. To have Potter be friends with her meant she could rub off on him, and might be able to help her and her family in ways that could be damaging.

But the problem was that there wasn't anything he could do to break the friendship up, as if he tried, it could backfire and make things worse than there already were for him with Potter. So he had no choice but to allow the friendship to happen. At least Mr. Weasley was making it so that others didn't go near Potter to make friends. Being friends with Bones, made Harry friends with Hannah Abbott, which the Headmaster didn't mind too much about.

The problem he had was being friends with Susan, meant that Harry made with Cedric Diggory, the son of Amos Diggory, the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. This was bad as it meant Harry would have an ear to someone who had a top position in the Ministry of Magic, and that didn't bode well for Albus, as it would give Harry an in into the Ministry - something he didn't want. But because of who Cedric Diggory's father was, Albus had to be careful how he worked around that.

Other than making a few more friends in his Housemates over the year, he made one more friend that Albus didn't want him making: Su Li. The Li Clan was from Japan, and was one of the most powerful Warrior Clans within Japan, and the Li Clan taught their children Battle Magic at a young age. Whilst Su Li was the youngest and the shyest of the Li Clan, having brothers and sisters before her learning the magic, Su Li was the most skilled at her age. None of her brothers or sisters were as skilled as she was at her age, and for Harry to become friends with her was brotherism, and was unsure how to deal with that friendship right now.

And thinking about the friends that the Boy-Who-Lived made, there was one friendship that broke that the Headmaster didn't want to happen. It would seem that Ronald couldn't keep his mouth shut, or keep to the plan that he had lied out for Ronald. It would seem that Potter found out that the youngest of the Weasleys was using the fame of Potter for his own personal use.

Albus knew that given time Potter might have forgiven him, but Ron had to open his mouth without thinking and insult Hermione Granger, and Ember Vile in front of the brat. It was so bad that they got into a fight, and Potter was no longer talking to the boy in question.

Over the year Potter was getting better in terms, something he hoped wouldn't happen, he had hoped that he would be lazy and only want to do the basics. He hoped that before the fallout with him, he had hoped that being friends with Ronald Weasley, Potter would follow the lead of Weasley, but that wasn't the case. What is worse, from what he heard from Professor Helling, he took side of Morgana, blaming the reason she became dark on her step-father and his action on those who were magical. This was something that Albus feared, as it meant that Harry could be easily become Dark should people say the right things to do so. Albus knew he had to keep the Boy-Who-Lived away from such people, but with the brat being so independent, it was going to be hard, but something he had to do to keep the boy Light and defeat the Dark Lord Voldemort. But now that Ronald and Potter had parted ways, he didn't have an ear within the brat's group, he would have to talk to the Weasley Boy about this during the summer, and see if he could fix this.

It would seem that Harry tried to keep himself away from trouble, and unless it found him, Potter stayed as far away as possible. Seeing that Harry had shown no signs of exploring the third floor corridor, he had to make Hagrid slip about the Cerberus, and about his old friend Nicholas Flamel. And like any young child, Albus Dumbledore knew Harry would try to find more out about this and was happy to see Harry and his friends did this.

During the year Dumbledore was forced to give back the invisibility cloak that James Potter gave to him, but that was down to the connect that they wrote out that made Albus give it back within the first year of Harry being at Hogwarts. But it did lead Harry Potter to finding the Mirror of Erised, where he was happy to find out that the brat's Hearts Desire was to have friends and family around him, something Albus knew he could use against the boy at a later date.

Now at the end of the year, and Potter had two deaths on his hands, the Mountain Troll, and Professor Quirinus Quirrell. The Troll Albus was shocked about, it just showed the potential of Potter's powers, it took a lot out of the boy, but if he could kill a Troll at this age, Albus was worried about what the brat could do in the future. Quirrell's death showed how skillful Potter was in fighting, whilst Quirrell was more skillful at fighting, Potter only won by luck and that he surprised Quirrell. If Potter didn't lay his hand on Quirrell, and used the protection magic that his mother gave him when she died, Albus knew that Quirrell would win and Potter would be dead before defeating the Dark Lord once and for all.

Quirrell's death caused another problem for Albus, and the Magical Law Enforcements knew that Voldemort was still out there and would now prepare for his return. At least with the Ministry of Magic's Magical Law Enforcement, he knew that they would sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened, as they wouldn't want to think about the Dark Lord still being about. But the Mystic Knights would be another problem, as he had no control over them, and they didn't fear the Dark Lord like the British and a few others around the world did. Albus wasn't sure how to deal with that problem yet.

Quirrell's death also gave the old Headmaster some more food for thought concerning Harry Potter, as like the Troll, Potter showed no real remorse over killing the Troll or Quirrell. This just showed that the boy was following a much darker path than Albus would have liked, and was unsure how to handle it. And seeing that the boy didn't trust him, he couldn't control him the way he liked. Not only that, but after getting the Philosopher's Stone somehow, gaining the boy's trust had gotten even harder than before.

He just wished that he knew what the boy was thinking, he wasn't sure the reason for it, but the brat seemed to have a some kind of Occlumency Shields when he first got to Hogwarts. When he tried to read Potters memories, he saw an icy fire in front of his mind, with a female figure behind the fire. But he put it down to having that damn familiar, the Ice Tigran, Aneira. Although many thought that Fawkes was his familiar, the truth was that Fawkes wasn't his familiar, but a dark ritual binding the two together. From what he learnt about familiars, some could create a kind of shield to protect their Master's mind.

But after Christmas, when he turned from returning from his Aunt and Uncle's, he seemed to gained the basics of true Occlumency Shields and over the months they became stronger. It would seem that during the Christmas break, someone taught the boy Occlumency, something Albus didn't like, as he couldn't read the boy's mind.

Either way, with Quirrell's death, the Magical Law Enforcements were once again in his school, to learn about what happened to Quirrell. Potter and his friends had to open their mouths about the third floor corridor, but luckily for Albus, he removed any signs that anything was up, and was able to come up with a decent enough story to cover up what really happened. He got an earful about bringing a dangerous creature into the school and not putting a decent enough protection over the door, but the rest of it was written off, as there was no real proof that he had done anything wrong.

As Albus thought about it it would seem that many of his plans weren't going his way lately. All his plans to rule the Magical World seemed to be crumbling around him. His grand plans all started with his best friend and lover Gellert Grindelwald; they felt that the Wizarding World should be controlled, as if it wasn't their way of life would be destroyed by the Muggles changing their beliefs and way of living.

Although Gellert might have had a good idea, but the way he went about it was all wrong, killing so many people. It was a great shame that he had to defeat Gellert, and put him into Nurmengard - the prison that Gellert made. With the defeat of Gellert, Albus realized how he could win, people treated him almost like Merlin and thought of him as the Leader of the Light.

However, he could only do so much with this new power and respect people were giving him. He knew that if he wanted to control the Wizarding World, he would need to become more powerful and respected than Merlin himself. So over the years he trained and trained, until he was the most powerful person in their world. Over the years he was able to gain the titles of Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. However, even with these titles and control he had, he was still limited, he needed something more.

Albus thought that when the new Dark Lord, Voldemort, who he knew formerly as Tom Riddle came along, people looked up to him to defeat this new Dark Lord. Now normally defeating someone like Tom should have been easy, and with his defeat the people would have done what he wanted.

But three problems arose, the first was that the Mystics rose and begun to change things. Most didn't like them because they were Muggleborns, using their magic differently, but with the Mages of Earth Land, they couldn't do much with upsetting the alliance that the Ministry of Magic around the world had with the Earth Land Mages. But as much as he hated the Mystics, they did stop much of the unnecessary deaths, although they killed many of those Albus didn't want dead. But there was a Muggle saying that he somewhat remembered, something about not being able to make a cake without breaking a few eggs. Or in his case, he couldn't create a new world without a few deaths.

The next problem was that his old student had created Horcruxes, to keep himself alive, and until they got rid of these Horcruxes, Voldemort would be unable to be killed. Which made it hard for anyone to defeat the Dark Lord.

It got harder because of a bloody prophecy: _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives… the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…_

It described that someone other than him, would defeat the Dark Lord and that someone was yet to be born. At the time, there were two unborn children that fell under the prophecy's description. It was either a child from the Potters or Longbottoms, which he was later informed were named Harry and Neville, respectively.

It wasn't until Halloween of 2001 that he found out the Prophecy Child was Harry Potter. It was luck that the Potters were killed and he could control what happened next, but now he had to think how to control the young Potter so that he would be weak but loyal to him.

But the problem was the Longbottoms, should both the Potter's die, they made a Will saying that both Harry Potter and new-born daughter Holly should be looked after by the Longbottoms because of Alice being Harry's Godmother, and if not was Sirius Black who was also Harry's Godparent. There was a list of people should the two unable to look after them.

He knew that anyone in the Wizarding World would treat him very well, and possibly make it so Potter would think for himself and use his fame to get what he wanted for himself. But that's something he wanted, he needed Potter weak and controllable by only him.

But Albus knew that Lily had a sister, Petunia Evans now Dursley, who hated magic more than anything because she did not have any, and because she wasn't allowed to go to Hogwarts to see it. Luck was even further on his side, as her husband was a bully and hated anything that could not be called normal, leading Albus to correctly believe he would also hate magic, and consequently Potter because of it. It was the ideal breeding ground for a meek child ripe for brainwashing in the form of a 'saviour'.

The first step was to make it so that the Longbottoms would be so busy that they couldn't look after Potter, or find out about Holly. Luck was on his side as Death Eaters attacked their family, because they thought that the Longbottoms knew where their Master was. But for some reason though, the attack failed, as someone in their ranks informed the Aurors and stopped the attack.

Because of this threat, and that other Death Eaters might go after them, Dumbledore advised them to train their son to defend themselves. Dumbledore also advised them to allow him to look after Harry Potter, as there would be extra risk on them should they look after the boy. So until young Neville was old enough and able to defend himself, they should wait before looking after Potter.

After dealing with the problem with the Longbottoms, Albus was planning to deal with Black, but he found out that he didn't have to. The fool Black got himself arrested and sent to Azkaban, for when he went after Pettigrew for betraying their friends. So Albus didn't have to worry about Black ruining his plans, and to this day he was still there.

With the Longbottoms and Black sorted out, the next thing he had to do was to seal the Potter Will, so that no one could learn about Holly, and who should be looking after the children. Then he had to get rid of the girl, and by the looks of it no one knew she existed. This way Potter didn't have anyone but him to rely on, and so Albus just dropped the young girl off at a nearby church. To this day he had no idea what happened to her, nor cared.

Whilst he was doing all this, he was also dealing with his new weapon, where he sent it to the Dursleys . Over the next few weeks, he made himself Harry's Magical Guardian. Where he used that power to get some of the money from the Potter's Vault. He wasn't able to get much, as not to raise questions, he took out enough each month that was meant to be used to look after his weapon and put it into his own account. A few times he was able to take out much more, putting it down to the needs for Potter.

He was also able to blackmail Severus Snape into working at Hogwarts, so when Potter came to Hogwarts Snape could treat him badly, which Dumbledore would counteract by being using his usual grandfatherly routine, further indebting the boy to him.

Things were going well, that was until the time his weapon meant to enter Hogwarts, that's when his plan for the boy begun crashing down on him. First off it would seem that Potter knew more about magic than Dumbledore had planned for him to know about, because unknown to him at the time, Potter was attacked by some Witch Hunters one night and was saved by the Mystics who seemed to inform the boy of everything.

Still Albus thought that how Potter acted was nothing more than an act, so not to reveal how scared and weak he truly was. So Albus thought his plans were still on track and collaborated with Molly Weasley so her son, Ronald Weasley, would become friends with young Harry.

Sadly from the moment the Boy-Who-Lived entered the Great Hall, Albus Dumbledore knew that his plans for the boy was no more. He could sense the power and the independence coming off the young boy.

But Albus still hoped that he could at least rework his plans to fit around the complications. He had hoped that, being the incredibly lazy boy Ronald was, it would be passed on to Harry. That plan, sadly, bore no fruit; Harry's study habits were already too ingrained. Ronald still did part of his job at least; informing him of most of what the last Potter was up to.

It was a shame the Weasley boy couldn't do anything about Harry's friends, but for a boy for Ronald's age, it wasn't really surprising.

Sadly by the start of the new term after the Christmas break, another part of his plan failed, Potter had found about Ronald's actions and dumped the lazy boy as a friend. Albus sighed to himself at this, he should have seen this coming with the rest of the friends that Potter made, unless the young Weasley changed how he acted, the friendship was bound to fail.

Albus didn't even want to think about the latest failure in his plans, the incident with the Philosopher's Stone, Quirrell and Voldemort, was still fresh in his mind. The old Headmaster couldn't even dream that such an easy plan could fail so badly, and all because his weapon found out about his powers before the Headmaster had planned, and formed a network of allies before entering the Wizarding World.

The only thing that seemed to go his way that year, was the deaths of Susan Bones's parents, and her aunt losing her arm. That family was one of the few from the Light Families that didn't trust, nor agree with him, always trying to undermine him. Albus thought it was a shame that the very least Madam Amelia Bones wasn't killed too, so that no one would be trying to undermine him and get others to do so too. At least she'll be out of his hair for a while until she gains a new arm.

Other than the deaths of Susan Bones's parents, another thing seemed to go his way was that he became the Magical Guardian of his weapons female friend, Ember Veil, because she didn't have a family of her own and no where to live. This was a good thing, as he could place her with a family that trusted him and so keep an eye on the young Mystic, and if possible make the girl trust him.

If his plan worked, Albus could use the girl to spy on Potter, and would know what he is up to. Albus had one family in mind, the Weasleys, they were a Light Family and one who trusted him fully and did what was asked without many questions as long as they believed he was doing the right thing. It was how he got Molly to use the Muggle entrance to get into Merlin's Station, informing them that his Weapon didn't know how to get into the Station and asked to help Potter to get into the Station. Whilst the plan didn't go fully to plan, Ronald did make friends with the Boy-Who-Lived for a while. He would have to inform Molly to keep an eye on her youngest son, so that he didn't do anything to hurt Veil, or anything that could make things difficult for the family.

But that's not the only plan the old Headmaster had planned for his weapon, within the next week he was planning to go to the Dursleys, to cast a few spells on the magic hating Muggles to make them hate Potter even more and try to be more abusive him. He hoped that Potter would obviously write to him for help, and Dumbledore would assure him he would try his best to get him to the Weasley's a few weeks before Hogwarts started, which would be the 'best he could do.' He hoped that this would gain some trust with his weapon, and make some of his future plans easier.

For now though he had to deal with some end of the school year things, before he could do anything to try and get Potter back under his control. So he sat down behind his desk, and begun the long job of the paperwork.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_20th of June 1992 - Merlin's Station:_

As Harry and Hermione walked through the station, they overheard a few things about a latest attacks by Dark Mystics, and how the Mystic Knights and those from the Ministry of Magic were working on covering it up so the Muggle World didn't learn about it.

It didn't take them long before Harry and Hermione were standing in front of the cafe where they met Hermione's parents at Christmas break, where Hermione spotted her parents, and with a smile she ran up to them and gave them a hug, as she greeted them. As she pulled back from her parents, she said, "Mum, Dad, you remember Harry."

"Nice to meet you again, Harry." Emmaline said with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you again too Mrs. Granger." Harry said with a smile, "Still gorgeous as the last time we meet."

Both the female Granger's blushed at this, with Hermione saying embarrassment, "Harry!"

"Still the charmer I see Harry," this came from Hermione's father Daniel, "I would be surprised if you didn't have a few girls already after you if this is the way you normally act."

"Well there might be a few." Harry admitted with a small blush of his own, _'Damn hormones!' _Harry thought to himself, he hated how his body was affecting since he hit puberty. He had no real control over some of his body actions, like blushing and erections that he often got when he nears a pitty girl or women. "But than again I think they like me more for my fame than my charms."

"I bet right now that is a bother, but later on I bet you won't be complaining about them liking you for your fame in a few years." Daniel said with a knowing smile, as mother and daughter give him a dark look at this, "You're young and well… ouch, Emma dear what did you do that for?" He asked as his wife stubbed her foot onto his own.

"You know very well why," Emma said as she give her husband a dark look, "don't corrupt his young mind. I know you would if you had his fame."

Harry just laughed at this, he didn't have Daniel to corrupt his mind, that already happened, but he didn't have to tell Emma or Hermione that though. "Don't worry Emma, although I have to admit finding someone who wants me for me will be hard, as most will want me for my fame and money. So until I find someone who only wants me for me, I might use my fame for a bit of fun, to find out who wants me for me."

Emma saw her daughter's hurt look at this, knowing that Hermione had her own feelings for the black haired boy, and liked him for him, and for saving her life and not for his fame or money. But she knew that Harry was a young boy, and like most boys his age, they didn't know anything about women and how to detect their feelings toward them. Although, she knew that they were still young though, Harry was right in a boy way, he was young and to him the only way to find someone who wants him for him, was to use his fame and see what happened.

Although that didn't mean that she couldn't help Hermione, and so with a sly smile, she said, "You might be right, but on the other hand you might have met someone who wants to be with you for you already, but you don't realize it yet."

"You might be right Mrs. Granger," Harry said with smile, hiding a smirk as Hermione blushed hard, but didn't say anything, "we'll have to wait and see what the future holds. As feelings often change, and things happen and we don't get what we want."

"You're right Harry," Emma admitted with a sad sigh, "we'll have to wait and see what the future holds. Anyway, please call me Emma, we'll be spending much of the summer together and hearing you call me Mrs. Granger all the time will make me feel old."

"And that goes for me too, call me Daniel or Dan, like my beautiful wife said, being called Mr. Granger all the time will make me feel old." Dan told Harry.

"Thanks, Dan, Emma…" that was all he got when he heard one voice Harry did not want to hear, Neville Longbottom, "Hey Harry."

"Longbottom," Harry sneered at the young boy, shocking the Grangers at the way he was talking all of a sudden, "what do you want?"

"I wanted to introduce you to my parents." Neville told Harry, as the Boy-Who-Lived turned round.

Upon seeing Neville's parents, his face darkened, and with a sneer said, "So you are my so called Godmother."

"I am…" began Mrs. Longbottom, before Harry said, "So where the hell have you been for the last few years, I thought Godparents were meant to be there for when the child's parents were not."

"Harry, that's not the way you should talk to strangers." Hermione scolded him.

"Harry, what is wrong?" Emma asked him.

Then, whilst looking darkly at his so called Godmother, he told her and Dan how Alice was his Godmother, and how that she had abandoned him all these years, not once looked on him. When Harry was finished, Emma and Dan looked at Alice in disgust, not believing what they had done. "How could you do that to your own Godchild?" Emma asked darkly.

"You don't understand, our family was in danger, and we wanted to make sure our son could protect himself before we took in Harry." Alice told Emma, "And we were told by Professor Dumbledore, that he was being looked after and was being trained."

"And that makes it alright for you not checking on your Godchild?" Emma said in disgust, "If I had a Godchild, even though I couldn't take them in for whatever reason, I would at least to check on him to make sure he was okay and healthy."

"But we were told by Professor Dumbledore he was happy and well taken of." Mr. Longbottom told them, defending his wife.

"You should have checked for yourself, not take the word of someone else." Dan said in disbelief.

Before someone else could be said, Harry said, "Do you know Lily's sister Petunia Evans now Dursley and her husband Vernon."

"How could the Professor send you there, he knew how Petunia felt about magic." a piled Alice told Harry.

"Why would you care now?" Harry asked darkly at the woman, "If you really cared, you would have checked up on me sooner."

"Harry, my dear I'm sorry, truly I am." a now tearful Alice said, and her husband comforted her.

"I don't want to talk about it." Harry dismissed her, as he looked at Emma and Dan, "I'll wait for you outside Emma, Dan and Hermione." And with that Harry walked out of the station.

With Hermione, and her parents standing there, Alice looked at where Harry walked off before say sobbing, "Listen I know I haven't done my duty as his Godmother, but if I knew who was really was looking after Harry, nothing would have stopped me getting him. I know I don't have the right, but could you talk to Harry and ask him to give me another chance?"

Emma was in two minds at doing this, but by the look from the other woman, she could see Alice really regretted her actions. "I'll try, but I can't give you any guarantees, but I'll try and talk to him. But it'll be up to him if he does anything."

"I understand, I'll just be grateful if you try." Alice sobbed, as the two families parted ways.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the second of the Interludes with Albus, I would like to thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. I'll be honest, I'm not all too sure about this chapter, it feels a bit off, but I believe I have gotten everything that I needed done. I hope you like his thoughts about what happened during the year. Either way not much else to say other than to ask for some feedback on your thoughts, as they'll help me write faster and give me ideas on how to make the story better.

_**Next time on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**___Next time on Overlord Vulcan, the new saga called The Serpent's Lair begins. In the next chapter we finally get back to the second year of the story, the next chapter we'll be meeting Hermione's sister Melody, and learn a bit about her.

The next chapter is more or less done, all I have to do is write the ending, and write a better Dobby scene, so unless I have a problem with the scene, the next chapter should be done soon. Only thing that would stop me is a writer's block or my muse leaving me, I put my money on a writer's block rather than my muse leaving me, seeing that I want to catch up to the end of second year.


	20. Chapter 17 - The Serpent's Lair: Part 1

_**Chapter Seventeen... **_

_**The Serpent's Lair - Part 1!**_

_**(Melody Granger!)**_

_20th of June 2012: _

No one said anything about what happened at Merlin's Station, seeing that it didn't feel right to do so right now. However though, on the ride to the Granger's home, Hermione asked, "Mum, where's Mel? I thought she'd come with to pick me up as well."

"Mel?" Harry asked, wondering who or what owned the designation.

Hermione's parents give her a look, and Hermione blushed as she said, "Melody, or Mel for short, is my sister."

"…You have a sister?" Harry asked with a surprised blink, completely shocked. She'd never mentioned anybody but her parents.

"Sorry, but every time we talked about the summer, or what I did over Christmas, we always get interrupted." Hermione blushed at this, "I meant to tell you, but things kept coming up."

It was true, whenever they talked about their families or the plans for the summer, things kept on coming up. Either their friends wanted something, or it was because the problems they had with Ron. And to be honest he never thought about asking about it either. "So what's your sister like?" Harry asked his friend.

"I've been told she's very smart, but she lacks the drive I do so she can become very unsure about things." Hermione explained, trying to remain unbiased. "She's also shy around new people, that much I can tell you first hand. Expect to be avoided until she grows used to you being around and warms up to you. So where is she Mum?"

"She decided to stay behind with her friends, she wasn't up to the trip. So how was your time at Hogwarts you two?" She inquired with interest.

For the remainder of the trip the four of them talked about the past year at Hogwarts. Harry didn't know Hermione was going to censor the events of the year, not understanding the danger of telling parents their daughter had her life in mortal danger, but did know enough to at least mollify them when he explained that the Magical World, while wondrous, was also dangerous. The Troll sneaking in was a rare event, like a dog wandering into an elementary school. To stress the importance of not yanking her from the magical world completely he explained that without the proper training, Hermione's magic could be a danger to both to herself and everyone around her. The Elder Grangers weren't happy, but they could accept that logic, helped by Harry's promise to keep Hermione safe.

Any other twelve year old promising this would have been written off, but there was a feeling around Harry, like an unseen aura of power and security. Hermione just barely resisted the urge to sigh with relief when her parents dropped the idea of pulling her from school and settled for a strongly worded letter to their Head of House about their lax security measures.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_The Granger's Residence:_

It was about two hours later when they got to a town called Winchester. They pulled into the driveway of a big garden and the large, two story white house it was attached to. The garden had beautiful flowers, bushes and trees. Harry stepped out of the car, same as Emma and Hermione, but Dan stayed inside the car. "I'm going to get Melody, see you soon." He announced with a blown kiss to his wife.

As the car pulled away and drove off Harry looked around and said, "These are really well cared for." He said with experience as he examined the flowers.

"Thank you Harry, it's a hobby of mine I started to pass the time but grew to love." Emma said with a proud smile, "Now let's go in and I'll do dinner and Hermione can show you around the house."

They did just that, Emma heading for the kitchen while Hermione gave him the tour. The first floor had a living room, study with a small library, Dining Room, kitchen and a Small Bathroom with a loo and a sink and a Games Room with a pool and foosball table. On the second floor they had five Bedrooms and a Bathroom; this one larger and sporting a bathtub. The Master Bedroom had its own bathroom, but that was the Elder Granger's Bathroom - Parent Privileges, Hermione had quoted - so Harry put it out of his mind.

Once Harry had a good idea of where everything was they went back to the living room, where Emma was watching TV. "You have a wonderful home Emma." He complimented.

"Thank you Harry," Emma returned. "Did Hermione show you what room was going to be yours?"

"No." He answered. His attention had more been on the games room and the study.

"Sorry Mum, I forgot to." Hermione said sheepishly.

"Well you can have one of the bedrooms on either side of the bathroom, they're guest rooms." Emma explained.

"Thank you Emma." Harry said gratefully. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked, feeling like he should be doing something in return.

Emma waved him off though. "No Harry, you're the guest and so you should relax." Next to him Hermione voiced her agreement. "Why don't you watch some TV. Hermione can you help me set the table while I finish up?"

With that Harry began to watch the TV, squirming in place as he sat gingerly on an unfamiliar couch, some irrational part of him worried he was going to break it somehow and get kicked out. He was hoping that feeling would fade.

Before he had a chance to dwell on it further though the front door opened and Dan's voice called, "We're home!" followed by the shuffle of shoes being taken off. Harry first look at Melody was her fond smile as she finished telling her Dad what she'd been up to with her friends. She had shoulder length, wavy sandy blond hair and muddy blue eyes set in a slightly more gentle version of Hermione's face.

She froze as she saw him, so Harry took the initiative, giving her a wave as he introduced himself. "Err, hey, I'm Harry Potter; one of Hermione's friends from Hogwarts." He said slowly, it felt completely foreign to the concept of introducing himself to his friend's siblings.

Just like Hermione said Melody seemed to look unsure of herself before she responded with a quiet, "Hello." before she made her towards the stairs, her gait slightly hurried.

Dan chuckled at Harry's curious expression. "Don't worry, she'll get used to you quick. Just give her some time and she'll be like a whole new person."

Just as he said that Hermione came in and saw her father, "Hi Dad, Mum thought she heard you and wanted to let you know she wanted you in the kitchen." Dan thanked his older daughter and left, leaving Hermione to tell Harry, "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes, Mum wanted me to tell you so you'd have time to wash up."

Harry nodded and went to the downstairs bathroom to wash up.

_**o0OoO0o**_

During dinner Emma looked up from her food and asked, "Harry, has Hermione told you what we have planned for the summer?"

Hermione blushed, and Emma quickly deduced she already knew what Harry was going to say. "Last I heard the trip to France was planned, but I never asked further for details, since I was happy that I was going somewhere in the first place." Harry answered honestly, not sure why Hermione and now Mel were blushing, or why Dan was chuckling at his girls.

"You see the reason that Hermione didn't tell you and the reason she and Mel are blushing is because it's a bit embarrassing for them. You see, one of the locations we'll be visiting is a nudist beach, although clothing is optional." Emma revealed with a grin. Both Emma and Dan chuckled as they watched Harry slowly work that out, before his facial colour matched their daughters'.

"O-oh. Yeah, that would certainly do it." Harry rambled, not sure how to take this development. On one hand he wasn't all that bothered about being around naked people, because of his club. But on the other hand though, he was coming on this holiday to get away from the naked people as puberty hit him, and his hormones were running loose and needed a place where he didn't have to deal with naked women. But at the same time, this holiday was better than dealing with the women at the club who should they find out about him hitting puberty, would tease and try to fuck him. At least on this holiday, he wouldn't have to deal with that problem.

"Yes, it's something of a tradition for our family, a time to let our hair down you could say." Emma explained to a shocked Harry. "It started with me and Dan's parents, they were both nudists, believe it or not. Dan and I both went to the same beach and happened to meet and fall in love. Dan and I aren't nudists like our parents, but we do go to that beach every year; both for ourselves and so our daughters can experience what we did and hopefully find love like we did."

"When do we leave?" Harry asked Emma.

"First of July; we'll be staying there until a week before you start your second year, so we can get yours, Hermione's and Mel's items for Hogwarts when we get back."

Harry attention perked at the mention of getting Melody school supplies too. He hadn't known she was Hogwarts bound as well. "So, Melody, you're going to Hogwarts too, are you excited?"

"Y-Yeah I am." Melody said shyly before she went back to eating her food, hoping the topic would change again so she wasn't in the spotlight.

"It was shocking when Professor McGonagall informed us that both our daughters were Witches." Emma explained to Harry, who noticed that Melody seemed to flinch at the word witch.

"Oh!" Harry voiced out loud without meaning to as he figured it out. "I didn't have to deal with it since 'Wizard' really doesn't have anything negative tacked onto it, but it must feel pretty strange to suddenly be called a witch, right?" He guessed.

Melody nodded, "I'm… still getting used to it. It still feels like whenever someone calls me a Witch they're accusing me of something. It would be easier if we were all called Mages, or even if Witches were called Sorceresses instead." She admitted slowly.

"I can see how that would make the transition easier. Speaking of which, I've noticed we really don't have a word to describe all of the Wizarding World as a whole, unlike the Mystics. I've been using Magicals, but that's just my unofficial name." Harry admitted, happy that he was holding a sort-of conversation with the previously reclusive girl.

Hermione took that moment to finally voice what she wanted to say before Harry spoke up, looking faintly ashamed. "I'm so sorry Mel, it was such a small thing among the huge revelations that I completely forgot about it. I should have warned you about the labelling issue."

"No worries Hermione." Mel said with a smile.

"So what would you prefer to be called?" Harry wondered.

Mel thought about it about this for a moment before she said, "I think I would like to be called a Mage, since it doesn't mean male or female, and I for one think it shows that we can do more than most think a Witch or Wizard can do. Like these Mystics that Hermione told me about, we can do so much more with magic if we only put our minds to it, like using the elements and such."

Harry considered her perspective and found he agreed with her. "If that's what you'd prefer I'll use it if you like, but the Magical World, for all its wonder, is a pretty close minded place. There are still many who are against the Mystics because of what they are able to do, and Mages as you call them are too lazy to learn how to use the magic differently. Worst case scenario you're looked down upon for being a silly Muggleborn who's so arrogant she feels she needs a fancy title. Best case scenario nobody cares and it catches on." He finished quickly as he noticed her depressed look.

"Thanks for the warning." Melody said, her smile returning at Harry's assurance.

As this was happening Hermione and her parents smiled at the youngest Granger opening up to Harry; they were worried that Melody would be shy around Harry and wouldn't be able to talk to him for quite a while. Their worries were unfounded however, Harry was apparently quite skilled when it came to socializing the standoffish Granger daughters. Hermione and her parents shared thankful smiles Harry was integrating so well so quickly and started discussing what Hermione had learned about the Wizarding World in the hopes to learn more about the world and see where they could fit into it, leaving Harry and Melody to finish their conversation. When they did so the two joined it; the five of them talking for almost an hour before they realized how long they'd been sitting there in front of empty plates and started cleaning up. not long after the children were sent to bed.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_23th of June - The Granger's Residence:_

It has been a few days since Harry arrived at the Granger's and Harry would readily admit he was enjoying himself. Unlike his bedroom at the Dursley's, this one was by quite a bit bigger, and everything was just a higher quality; the bed softer, the lamp brighter, the blankets warmer. Even should he sleep in his room at his club, it wasn't as good as this, something he would have to change now.

He also found he didn't have to cook anything for anybody to keep the peace, which was a shock. Although he had to admit he did like cooking well enough, so he did make snacks and even lunch for everyone on several occasions. He had no chores, nor have to be at the club for any reason, all he had to do was enjoy his summer. It was just too weird to do nothing though, and he insisted he be able to do a few jobs around the house, as thanks for having him. Something he didn't think he could get used to, he liked to keep busy, and he enjoyed running the Abyss, even if the paperwork was hell, and the people were a pain in the ass. But it wasn't something he would change. But it was nice to have some free time, to relax and not worry about people cheating him and the other problems that came with running an underground club.

Outside the house Harry went his time working in the gardens in the front and back yards with Emma's blessing once he explained that he took care of the Dursley's garden, because it was relaxing work for him, and learning to swim in the backyard pool with Hermione and eventually Melody's help - something he didn't really needed to know until now. The backyard was surrounded by huge trees and bushes so no one was able to see what was going on in the garden and the nearest house was about five minute walk away.

It was currently a few days since Harry got to the Grangers, and he hadn't yet started to do any of his training yet. He knew he couldn't use his wand, as it had the Trace on it that would inform the mooks at the Ministry of Magic that he was doing magic. He was almost certain they couldn't detect him using his Mystic powers because they didn't interfere in the past, but he wanted to wait a few days before he restarted his training and test his luck.

But now that he had a few relaxing days, Harry decided it was time to start training again. It was doubtful he would get any time while in France, so he wanted to get some time in now. He and Aneira situated themselves in the backyard as the elder Grangers were at their dental practice in London and Melody and Hermione were in the Games Room.

He decided to start off with something he felt was needed; evasion training, whilst he was good, after fighting Quirrell, Harry knew he had to be better. Aneira would throw ice attacks at him and he either avoided or knocked them out of the air with his own attacks when he couldn't dodge. So far he was able to dodge about 80 percent of Aneira's assault when she was firing her slower attacks. "I think that'll do for now girl, let's see if you can ice over the whole pool." Harry eventually said once he felt he'd made some progress.

Aneira sent him an insulted look, telling him that she wasn't happy that he didn't think she could do something as easy as that. She sniffed and suddenly Harry's legs were encased in a block of ice; Harry didn't even notice because he was watching her ice over the pool. Harry laughed it off and soothed her bruised ego with compliments as he melted the ice off his leg.

An hour later Harry and Aneira were going full force, throwing elemental attacks at one another to improve their stamina. Harry learnt fast that the Ministry of Magic couldn't detect his Mystic Powers, or they could but because it was Mystic Powers and not wand magic, they couldn't do anything for some reason. "Whoa, that's so cool!" It was lucky Harry and Aneira were taking a breather at that moment, and their latest attacks had already hit and cancelled each other out that neither of them was hurt.

As Harry and Aneira turned around to see who it was, they saw Melody sitting on the porch, "I'm sorry to surprise you, but I was just shocked to actually meet someone else who has the same powers as me, well, almost anyway. Is… is that a tiger?" Melody asked hesitantly as she stopped gushing about Harry's abilities.

Harry waved it off, "No problem, but next time wait for us to finish what we're doing before you say anything. We're not used to training with other people around and we get pretty engrossed in what we're doing. Oh and that's Aneira." He revealed. "She's a Tigran; a magical animal that can look like a normal house cat, or in this case kitten, or a tiger." Mel looked in awe at this, as Harry went on to say, "So what do you mean by you've found someone who could do the same as you? Are you a Mystic too?"

Instead of saying anything, Mel snapped her finger and between them lightning crackled between her finger - it was like the lightning was dancing around her fingers.

Harry was shocked to see this, Hermione didn't tell him that she had a Mystic as a sister, then again Hermione never got to telling him about her sister. But at the same time he would have thought that Hermione would have told him that she knew someone who was a Mystic, when she found out about him. Either way though, who would have thought that the reclusive and hesitant girl could control such a powerful element? He knew that Charlotte could control an elemental power, and there were a few others, but it wasn't their main skill. It gave Harry another reason to get to know her as her own person rather than the sister of his best friend. "That's wonderful Melody, so I take it that your parents and Hermione don't know about this?"

"Ah… no." Melody said shyly, reminding Harry of when they'd first met and she hadn't opened up to him yet.

"Why?" Harry asked the young Granger.

"I, I was afraid how they would react if they found out." Melody admitted.

"Listen Melody, I know I only met your parents, but I can tell that whilst they would love you no matter what you could do." Harry comfort Melody, "Does Hermione have a skill like this?" Harry inquired. He assumed Hermione would have said something, but she might be like Melody, whatever her powers could be, she was too afraid to say anything. Even when she was asking about his abilities she may have been so focused on him mentioning her own abilities could have slipped her mind in her mental focus.

"Not as far as I know, no." Melody admitted. "When we were younger, strange things did happen around us, but we never realized - or possibly weren't willing to accept - that it was our doing. It was only last year that we found out why they'd happened. Hermione, as you can probably guess, wanted to learn everything from the official books. So instead of experimenting on her own when we found out it was us doing the strange things, when she got her wand and books, she started to learn from them, strictly following the lesson plan inside. However, I was the opposite; I didn't have copies of her books at the time, so I studied on my own. It worked out for the best anyway; I find I learn better with self-study. I eventually read her books, and though they did help with my progress, they all seemed so… rigid. All the books seemed to be missing something. They explained things well enough, but if you wanted to unravel the magic on your own they were sorely lacking."

Harry was impressed at how Melody was acting; over the last few days she acted shy most of the time, but whenever she talked about magic she was like a completely different person. "You're right, I have found that the books only hold the basic information for our kind of magic, the rest is up to the our believe and how much power we were born with. The books are main to learn Wand Magic. They don't do much else for you if you want to learn the how's and why's. I have found the books in the Hogwarts Library a bit more help in that regard, but I've still found it easier to use the books as guides and just learn on my own."

Melody had a thoughtful look on her face as Harry told her this, "Interesting, I can't wait to go to Hogwarts next fall to see what I can learn from their Library. I did something very similar with my sister's books; using them as guidelines to see what I can do, rather than unquestionable proof." Melody explained to Harry, "Unlike my sister I refuse to believe the books contain every scrap of knowledge that exists on this and other subjects in the world. There are just so many things to learn and discover. It seems so… lazy, to think that someone has already discovered all there is to find of even the simplistic applications of magic and the world at large."

"Either way, since I didn't have a wand I had to experiment on what I can do could do without one. I had no real idea how or where to start, no idea about Mystics were real, so I read a few comics to try and see where the people with magic in them started off. It took a while but I found that the most common trait was that the Mages in the stories and comics meditated to gain and control their new powers. So I got a few books and started to meditate, it took a while but I eventually found what I believe was my power within me."

Harry was amazed at the young girl's story, it was almost the same as his, but she didn't have any help from an imaginary friend/sister. He listened as she went on to say, "Once I found my power, the next task was learning how to control it and find out what I can do with it. My first try was shape shifting; from what I read in the comics I needed to focus on what I wanted to look like and will myself to look like it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to change my appearance to look like another person." Melody looked downtrodden as she was told the skill she wanted to learn the most wasn't possible.

"There's nothing to be down about Melody, you've already made a lot of progress; just focus your willpower and you can do almost anything. I've learnt that as long as your body is able to handle the power strain, you can do anything you want; within reason. All you have to do is start small and keep on training. It'll get easier to do once you learn to get a good mental picture of what you want to do and find what your exact limits are. Just don't be upset if you can't do what you want to do instantly." Harry explained to the younger girl, finding himself comfortable in the impromptu role of teacher he'd taken. "From what I've learnt, the ability to suddenly look like another person of the same gender by changing your appearance is what's called the Metamorphmagus ability, and it's an inborn trait that can't be learned. I've got a few skills already, and I know that there's other powers out there I want to learn. And who knows, there might be other ways to learn new skills that we don't know of yet, we have to keep on looking."

Melody smiled warmly at Harry's supportive words; it was nice to talk to someone who had the same habits as her, even better that he'd been doing it for longer and had much to share. Maybe if she played her cards right, she could get him to teach her what he knew. "I didn't know that, thanks for telling me Harry." Melody said with a smile, grateful for the advice, "Since that I couldn't become a shapeshifter like I wanted, I tried to learn other skills. I moved on to elemental skills; it was the next best group of powers I saw in the comics.

"I started off trying the four basic elements; Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, but I just couldn't… feel them, is really the only way I can describe it." Melody explained to Harry, this was something Harry could relate to. As before he learnt his fire powers, he couldn't feel anything other than fire. And shortly after meeting Charlotte, and gaining some skill in his fire abilities, he was able to feel his Earth powers. Earth wasn't his strongest, but it wasn't his weakest either.

"So I thought about the other elements that some of the comic character's use." Melody went on to explain, "There are a lot of elemental powers, but when I went to school one day I finally got an idea for the first element to try. In our Science Class we were told that our body was made up of mainly of water, but also electrical impulses throughout our body. So, since I couldn't control water, I started to try and see if I could control electricity. It took a while, but I eventually realized that I could control the tiny amount of electricity the human body has stored. It took me months to do much of anything besides make my fingers spark. It wasn't until I realized I only had access to a tiny amount of energy that I started looking for ways to increase what I had on me."

Melody started to look sheepish as she slowly admitted. "I tried just wearing thick socks and rubbing my feet on the carpet, but it didn't do much of anything, so I uh… I kinda… stuck my finger in a light socket?"

Harry shrugged off what most people would goggle at though. "I used a candle to check if fire I hadn't created would burn me, so I'm not really the one to judge you for that."

Melody looked grateful to not get a scolding for her actions and continued. "That isn't the only thing I learned though!" She said, her voice actually raising for the first time since Harry had met her as she proudly said, "I also learned to summon and banish things. Shapeshifting may not have yielded any success, but I did learn how to change my body a different way. I read in comics that a character could transform into a monster of some kind, so I wanted to see if I could transform into a monster so I could I could become stronger. I knew it might not be possible to do so, but I wanted to at least try and see if I could." Melody's body started shifting, and she perked up like she remembered something before yanking the back of her waistband down for her pants. Harry was just about to ask about it before a zigzag shaped tail sprung up.

When her transformation was all done Harry stared at her blankly. "You're a Pikachu." He said flatly, as he remembered the Pokemon show that Harry saw Dudley saw one time.

Melody's red circled cheeks puffed out. "I am not! Well, okay, I've never looked at myself in a mirror or anything, but I'm sure I'm absolutely terrifying and powerful."

"You're a Pikachu." Harry repeated. "Not a four legged one though, more like if someone slapped a Pikachu costume on a person." And he was right, Melody still walked on two legs, the only thing that had really changed were her ears had become long and pointed, she'd sprouted a lightning bolt shaped tail, and her hands and feet had become padded. Aside from being completely covered in yellow fur - except for the black tips of her ears and the first half of her tail being brown - a very short muzzle where her lower face used to be, and a very slight bust increase, which Harry didn't even notice, she was largely the same. He'd been expecting something a little more frightening.

Harry smiled cheerfully, causing Melody to come back from the embarrassed mood she'd slipped into as Harry eyed her up and down. "Despite of the craziness of becoming a well known and entirely fictional creature instead of something real, this is really amazing Melody; you have a good grasp of your powers. I hope we can train together some time. You look really cute like that by the way."

"T-Thanks Harry." Melody said bashfully. Though it couldn't be seen through her fur she was blushing at Harry, a boy she admitted was very cute himself, complimenting her. Changing the subject, she spoke as she transformed back. "I was wondering, could I become your Apprentice Master Vulcan."

Harry blinked, not expecting her to even know that nickname, much less make such a request. "How did you hear that name?" He asked first.

"Hermione was talking about her year and she let slip that her and your Study Group called you Vulcan, and a pair of 'trouble making gingers' called you Master Vulcan." She explained. "At the time I wasn't sure why they would call you that, but now that I've seen your powers it makes sense; the Roman God Vulcan was the God of Fire and Blacksmithing. Have you ever thought about trying your hand at smithing?" Melody asked as an afterthought.

"I hadn't, no, but it's an interesting hobby idea once I own a house that could support it." Harry ceded, interested in the idea. "I'll have to look in the library and see if they have any books about getting into the art."

"I'm sure there's something. There has to be, if what Hermione says about the size of the school library is true. If not, I'm sure you'll find something someday." Melody reasoned. "Back to my point, though." She said suddenly. "I'm guessing you know a few things that I don't know, possibly a lot of things. So I wanted to become your Apprentice so you can teach me what you know. I've heard Hermione mention you're a natural when it comes to teaching, what she told me, you are helping a few students to learn how to use their powers and help get better defending themselves with and without magic."

"Thank you, but to be honest I really don't know much, everything I am teaching them is things that I was taught before coming to Hogwarts." Harry said modestly. "I am still learning to this day, and most likely will keep on learning until I die."

"I understand that, but you still know more then me and could help me learn more about my powers and what I can do with them, like you do with your friend Ember. I still want to become your Apprentice. Once you run out of new things to teach me, we can either wait until you learn more, or just start learning together and help each other to find new things to learn. So what do you say, well you help me, Master?" She questioned.

'_Damn my fucking hormones.' _Harry thought to himself. It's not that he didn't want to help the young girl, as he was already helping his friends at Hogwarts to use their powers and defend themselves. The problem was how his body was reacting to her calling him Master. It wasn't the first time he was called Master, he was often being called it when he was Maverick, and as of late when his friends were joking with him.

But since he hit puberty, in the back of his mind where his darker thoughts dwelled, he was having erotic images running through his mind, and all because of his new hormones running through him. Still, if only for a moment, Harry looked at Melody with a calculating gaze, not just weighing her current worth, but her future value as well.

He saw a needy girl, like Ember was, who was so overjoyed that she found someone like herself that she was jumping head first into things, without her usual cautious, hesitant manner. He saw a girl like Ember, that would one day become a very sexy woman, but could be trained and molded into something even greater. Something that would be completely loyal to him, that would be willing to do anything for him, even sexual things. Sure Charlotte and Blink could be said were the same, but Ember and now Melody were somehow different, something he himself could mold to his liking. The other two were loyal and would do things because he saved them, but yet they had their own independence and free will to do what they like. But with Ember and Melody he could sense he could mold them to his liking, and get rid of their independence and free will, so that their actions would be for whatever his needs were, and do so without question.

And then the moment passed, and he was back to thinking about purely the now; how good it would be to help another friend learn how to control her powers, help defend herself and learning new things together at a pace far greater than it would be individually. Harry nodded slowly, a smile growing on his face as he accepted the idea. "Fine, but please call me Harry. 'Master Vulcan' is something a few of my friends like to call me as a joke. I think working together will be very beneficial for us."

Melody smirked, an expression not seen often on her face. "Thank you Master Vulcan, I'll be your loyal Apprentice." Before he could raise a fuss she waved him off. "I'll call you Harry, but only when you're not teaching me. As the way I see it, we can keep the training and friendship separate. During our training, you're the Master/Teacher and you won't hold back, you can do whatever you need to train me, even if I don't like it. This will make things so much easier for us, as you may need to instruct me in such a way that friends can't do, as they don't want to go full force and hurt them and wanting to take it easy on me because I'm you friend. Doing it this way will be better for us, we can take a step back, so to speak, to see the situation from a detached mindset. This way, I believe our friendship wouldn't be damaged, because you are going too far."

Harry nodded, hesitantly at first but growing more sure as he worked it out. He had to admit that in the past few months as he trained his friends, he had been taking it easier on them, as he didn't want to take it as hard on them. But now he was thinking about it, he wasn't doing them any justice, he now saw that them being rough on him made it so he was as good as he was now. So maybe the idea of the Master/Apprentice role would allow him to do things that being friends just wouldn't, he would have to talk to his friends to see what they thought about the idea. Before Harry could discuss it more with Melody, Hermione came out to the backyard… and froze when she saw the slab of ice that used to be the pool. "H-Harry, what happened here?" She asked, wide eyed.

Seeing Hermione, and realizing he'd left the pool frozen, Harry smiled sheepishly and said "Sorry, me and Aneira were training and I uh… kinda forgot about the pool. I'll fix it." He added.

However, just as he started to warm up the water, Hermione cut in, "Harry!" She barked in a loud whisper, looking around frantically as if the authorities were hiding in the bushes, waiting for an admission of guilt, "We're not supposed to do magic outside of school!"

"No, we've been told that we can't do magic with our _wands_, there's no rule saying that I can't use my Mystic powers. I've been using my Mystic powers for a while, and no notice coming from the Ministry" Harry said with a smirk. His jovial mood vanished, a darker one taking its place. "We can't use our wands because of the Trace on them, but I'll bet certain wards block the signal the Ministry is supposed to get or they use a wand that doesn't have a Trace on it. Without parents that can cast this ward or them not having a wand, we're left with no way to practice magic."

Hermione and Melody both paused as they worked it out. Hermione looked like she was trying to mentally deny it, wanting to believe the people of Magical Britain were better than that, but Melody, with no attachment to the Magical World or it's people, scowled at the very idea.

By the time they came out of their respective thought the pool was once more regulated and back to normal. Harry gestured towards the pool and Hermione wordlessly dove in, not wishing to talk about what Harry had suggested. Melody, on the other hand, walked up next to Harry and whispered, "We'll talk later."

Harry nodded next to her, but goggled when he looked back at her when she walked away. When she'd transformed and pulled her pants down because she didn't want them to rip because of her tail she'd never pulled them back up, so the stretchy material of her pants was still there, just below her butt. "Hmm Melody." Harry said as he wordless pointed to her behind.

Melody's eyes widened as she placed her hand on her naked butt, which was in full view of Harry, and immediately yanked up her pants with a squeak, walking quickly back inside, her face completely red.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_30th of June - The Granger's Residence:_

It has been over a week since Harry came to the Granger's home for the summer, about a week since he and Melody had talked about their powers. The two had really hit it off, spending quite a bit of time talking about magic and even experimenting when no one else was around, at least for the first few days. The benefits of having two minds working together were already showing; Mel - as she'd insisted Harry call her - was able to create a small ball of lightning, something that Mel was proud about and was thankful to Harry for.

Mel had been too excited about finally mastering the lightning ball and had been shooting them at a tree when Hermione came outside to check what the noise was about. She was understandably shocked when she saw what Mel was doing, but was mollified when Harry explained he was carefully watching over what she was doing. She was upset that that 1, her sister didn't tell her that she was a Mystic like her best friend, and 2, her best friend didn't inform her about her sister.

But as Harry explained, it wasn't his secret to tell, all he was doing was helping her to become stronger and better at her skill. Melody told her sister what she told Harry, she was afraid at how she and her parents would think of her powers, seeing that they were different than Hermione's. Hermione told her that she was a fool, that she would never hate her sister, neither would their parents. But she promised that she wouldn't tell them, it would be up to her. Instead Hermione joined these sessions with them, giving any advice she could. It wasn't always useful advice, but they all admitted she was at a disadvantage, not having an elemental ability of her own.

Although he insisted she simply call him by his name Harry quickly discovered that Mel continued calling him Master Vulcan when they were training. Even when Hermione joined, for two days she kept calling him Master. Although when Hermione found about it, instead of trying to stop her sister, she thought it was a good idea when Melody told the reason behind it. Hermione agreed it would allow Harry train not only her sister, but their friends better this way, thinking each other as teacher and student and not friends. Because if training as friends, Harry would hold back on them.

Seeing he couldn't stop Melody, he just went with it. But the problem was that over the last few days, Melody begun to tease him when they weren't training and when they were alone by calling him Master, knowing full well how wound up and flustered it got him when she did so. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, as he was often been called Master at Abyss, but with Melody though, he got a small distant part of him still got a rush out of it. _'Fucking hormones, I hate puberty.' _was Harry's thought, being hit by puberty was making it hard for him to think clearly. And the worst part was that, unless he found a way to deal with it, this was going to last a few years. This made Harry curse his hormones and puberty once again.

It was just the other day that Hermione asked if they could try and see if she had any powers. Instead of trying a few days, and finding out that she didn't have anything, Harry told her the truth. That they'll try to do so, but it'll be most unlikely that she would be able gain any powers like the Mystics have. Most Mystics find their skills way before learning what they really are, and those who did know about magic didn't have her problem, her belief in books and logistic.

Harry told Hermione that most Mystics rely on their belief in imagination, and believed that there was more out there than what people and books told them there was. She, on the other hand believed in what people told her, and what was said in books, and so, to gain extra powers that wasn't in the books, or scrolls that they might find, it could be very hard for her to gain new powers. As her mind and magic is now set up to the belief of what is said in books, rather than imagination.

Seeing how depressed Hermione was at this thought, Harry and Mel were quick to point out she was the smartest person they knew and her quantity of known spells was way above Harry's. Not to mention just because she needed a wand to cast magic now, didn't mean she couldn't do everything Harry and her sister could do, they just needed to find her the right spells. Harry said that if she wanted new skills, all they had to do was find them and learn them. Hermione smiled as they told her this, knowing that her friend and sibling and would try and help her in any way they could.

The last week or so wasn't all about training, Emma took Harry and the girls clothes shopping. Seeing that their old clothes had gotten too small for Hermione and Melody, and most likely Harry too. Harry was happy to pay for his own clothes, but Emma wouldn't have it, said for what he had done for Hermione in the last year and saving her life, she would pay for the clothes - it was the least she could do. Harry wasn't happy about that, it felt like they were doing so much for him already and it felt like he was freeloading. Still, there was little Harry could do about it, so he went along with things.

Not only that, but twice that week Harry Jumped back to Surrey to meet up with Charlotte and Blink, and make sure that Abyss was running fine, and make appearance as Maverick. Also during this time, Harry did some sword training with Syrio.

Although it had only been over a week since Hogwarts broke up for the summer, Harry was getting worried about Ember and his other friends; they hadn't yet replied to any of his letters, or written any of their own letters yet. He knew they had their own plans, but writing a letter didn't take all that long, just a few minutes for a short letter would have eased his worry a great deal. Not only that, but Ember said she would reply once she settled in.

It was now the night before they were meant to leave for France and Harry had just brought up the issue with Hermione. Emma, nearby, heard his worries as he explained them to her daughter and spoke up, "You know Harry, they might just be busy and haven't had time to reply. Some people have a great deal of trouble writing letters, and they may want to make them perfect before sending them off but don't have the time."

"I know Emma, but I thought that at least one of them would have replied." Harry said, "Not only that, but Ember who is staying with a new family seeing that she didn't have one before, would let me know that she would write in a few days after she settled in. She isn't the type to say she would do something and not to." Here Hermione agreed with Harry, saying that for anyone else it might be possible, but for Harry who was her first friend and someone she trusted, she wouldn't be late with a letter.

Emma had no real response to that. Harry's social circle was pretty good sized, the chance of none of them being able to spare half an hour to write something was very small. Then a thought came to her, as she said, "You did say that some of your friends don't have an owl right?" Harry nodded in affirmation. "Maybe they haven't had time to get to where they can use an owl and post the reply. You said the Weasley twin's owl was old, so maybe they decided to wait until they can get to another owl before writing to you, and if your friend Ember is with them, she is waiting to post her letter at the same time if she doesn't have an owl of her own. As for the others, as highly unlikely it is, it is possible that their owl may have some kind of avian illness, it was on the news lately that a few wild birds have been taken ill recently. So it's possible that might have happened. Hopefully by the time we return from our trip they should have replied to you, if not you can ask them when you get back to Hogwarts why they didn't write you back. Until then relax, hopefully the trip will put your mind off things."

"You're right Emma." Harry sighed. "I'll be able to ask them about it when I return to Hogwarts. Like you said, I'm sure there's a logical explanation for everything."

Harry had just finished saying this when a small, emaciated looking creature literally popped into their living room; literally appearing out of nowhere with a popping sound. The creature seemed to ignore everyone else in the room and zeroed in on him, who was staring surprised at the pointy eared being just like everyone else in the room.

Now if it was another time and place, if Harry had a different upbringing, he would have been kinder to the creature in front of him. But this Harry wasn't that person, and so didn't care if he upset the creature. Harry shifted into a ready position, his expression dark and cautious as he said, "Who or _what _are you?"

"D - Dobby, sir. J - Just Dobby. Dobby is a House-Elf." the creature said fearfully as Aneira who was lying next to Harry hissed at it, as she awoke from her sleep, "Dobby heard that Harry Potter was going back to Hogwarts, even though Dobby hoped that should Harry Potter sir thoughts that if Harry Potter's friends didn't write to him, Harry Potter wouldn't go back to Hogwarts. Dobby must warn Harry Potter, _Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts_."

Harry scoffed at the idea and looked at the weird creature in front of him as if he was mad, "Not going back to Hogwarts, pff like that's going to happen… hell would have to freeze over before I don't return to Hogwarts. I've -" Then Harry thought something that this… Dobby thing had just said. "How do _you _know my friends haven't been writing me?"

Dobby shuffled his feet. "Harry Potter mustn't be angry with Dobby. Dobby did it for the best-"

"_Have you been stopping my letters?_" Harry asked darkly with flames in his eyes.

"D-Dobby has them here, sir." The elf stuttered fearfully. Stepping nimbly out of Harry's reach, he pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. Harry could make out his friends' handwriting.

Dobby blinked anxiously up at Harry. "Harry Potter mustn't be angry… Dobby hoped… if Harry Potter thought his friends had forgotten him… Harry Potter might not want to go back to school, sir…"

Harry wasn't listening. He made a grab for the letters, but Dobby jumped out of reach.

"Harry Potter will have them back, sir, if he gives Dobby his word that he will not return to Hogwarts. Ah, sir, this is a danger you must not face! Say you won't go back, sir!"

"That's not going to happen." Harry stated firmly as he grabbed Dobby's arm, quickly throwing the small creature over his shoulder and making his way into the kitchen as his Tigran followed him. He looked back over his free shoulder and said, "I'll be back in a minute."

The Grangers were so mystified at the odd sight of the strange creature appearing in their house that they didn't know what to say or do.

_**o0OoO0o**_

Harry pulled the squat, little elf along, as he entered the Grangers' kitchen. His resolve hardened to the point he wouldn't consider an alternative. With one hand, he held both of the elf's wrists into a bind. He wrapped his hand around the handle of a nearby drawer, reaching inside to grab a delectably sharp steak knife. Harry made a few cut on the creature's body to make a point, before placing the blade at Dobby's fleshy neck.

At once, the elf's lips curled in defiance. "Dobby is used to these types of punishments at home, Harry Potter sir!"

Harry snarled, and forced the elf's hands to the nearby gas stove, turning it on, immediately. He placed Dobby's hands on the surface - moments afterwards, Dobby's bulbous eyes watered.

"Harry Potter sir, must not go to Hogwarts!" Dobby snapped his fingers and moved to the corner of the room. Here Harry threw a few fireballs at the damn thing who had his letter's.

"If you don't give me my letter's I'll see how long a creature like you takes to die under flames." Harry sneered, he had no problems with House-Elves seeing he had many at The Abyss, but he didn't like those who stole from him. At the club he allowed others to do his dirty work, as whilst he has been Maverick for a few years, he was still a child. And so he didn't have the guts to do such things, make threats yes, but he would have others to do his work, but it was about time to do his own dirty work.

However, Dobby _popped _out of the way as Harry threw a fireball as a warning, but as the House-Elf did Aneira turned into her tiger form and lunged, her fangs nearly piercing the house elf's delicate skin, as she snarled.

Harry smirked, patted Aneira on the head,

"Now, Dobby, my ravenous, captivating familiar will consume you - of course, that could be prevented if you agree to give my mail back - so, Dobby, what will it be? My letters, or your life?"

"Dobby, Dobby will give Harry Potter's letters back to him." The House-Elf said in fear.

Aneira loosened her hold and transformed back into her cat form, as she did, the Granger's came into the kitchen to see what was going on, only to see a pasty white and shaking Dobby stumbling behind him. Dobby wordlessly shoved a thick packet of letters into Harry's hands, which almost fell to the ground in the haste to give them to the last Potter before he left, but not before shakily telling Harry to not go back to Hogwarts and he would make sure that he didn't if Harry didn't listen to him.

Staring at him Hermione asked, "Harry what did you do to the poor creature?"

Harry looked at her in disbelieve, that so called poor creature was keeping his letters from him, and that in Harry's book allowed him to do whatever he needed to do to get them back. "I convinced him what a bad idea it was not to give my letters back to me, that's all…" All four of them looked at in disbelief, they knew there was more to it than met the eye. Harry realized this, and knew they wouldn't give up until he told them. "I threatened him with Aneira, telling him that if he didn't give my letters back and stop stealing my mail I would feed him to her." They didn't need to know what else he did to the House-Elf.

The four Grangers now understood the reason for Dobby to be white as a ghost and shaking when he left, they all knew what Aneira looked like in her tiger form. While his methods made the elder Grangers uncomfortable they couldn't think of a better way to have gone about it, so decided to change the subject.

"So what was Dobby?" Emma asked after a few moments, "He said something about being a House-Elf?"

"I don't know." Hermione admitted, "I haven't started to read about magical creatures yet." To be honest, until now she really didn't have a reason to look them up yet.

Then they looked at Harry, who looked a bit sheepish as he said, "I only know this because I was bored and had nothing else to do during our exams, so I just picked a book at random book to read, and it was about Magical Creatures coincidentally enough. The Summary on House Elf history was pretty slim, the author didn't know where they came from but could only guess they were either made of solidified magic gathered over time in magical hotspots or an offshoot of another race that died out. House Elves can use a unique kind of magic and are symbiotic in nature. The book says that they're a Servant Race bonded to a Magical Family. The family doesn't need to be particularly powerful or old, just as long as they're magical and had money, though the older families are the ones with the most elves through virtue of the creatures living so long."

"That sounds like maids and butlers that we have in the normal world," Dan noted. "but the way that Dobby character looked and acted, it was if he was some kind of badly treated slave."

"You might not be far off there." Harry shook his head sadly. "The book explained that while most were treated like hired help there are those who treat their House-Elves badly. To most Muggleborns it doesn't help that the House-Elves don't get paid."

"What?! That's horrible!" Hermione exclaimed, an opinion that was mirrored by the other Grangers with nods of agreement. "That's sound exactly like slavery! We should free them somehow."

"Don't even think about it Hermione." Harry snapped at her, shocking the Grangers. "You're just proving the Purebloods right about not having Muggleborns into the Wizarding World."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked Harry, concerned. Harry had explained about Purebloods, Half-Bloods and Muggleborns a few nights ago when she was talking about the Wizarding World.

"Most Purebloods believe that Muggleborns shouldn't be allowed into the Wizarding World, Half-Bloods are barely accepted, but are more accepted than Muggleborns." Harry explained to the Grangers. "The reason for this is because Muggleborns often try and alter or outright change their customs. I'm sure everyone with common sense can clearly see that some customs _should _be changed the way, but how the majority of Muggleborns go about it is wrong. Most come into it thinking they're superior to the Purebloods because they think that most of the Purebloods customs are barbaric and backwards. Considering some of the customs _are _barbaric and backwards this standpoint can be forgiven, but it doesn't change the fact that Muggleborns think they know better and it goes to their head. When Muggleborns want to change things, they often get a big head thinking they are right, and force the changes instead of talking to the authorities and elected officials."

Harry sighed, "I blame the Purebloods for part of this, because they don't - and even actively prevent - teach and explain about their customs to the Muggleborns. Like Hermione just demonstrated it's easy to make a snap judgement, but we don't have all the information. For instance, House-Elves _need _to bond to a family, or even a location if there's enough magic, if not they slowly go crazy and die, in that order. Not only that, but it's only possible for the _Master _of the individual elf free a House-Elf by giving them clothes." Harry gave Hermione a pointed look when he said this, as to warn her, as he knew if he didn't, she would do something stupid and try and free the House-Elves somehow. "So not only would you need to convince hundreds of people to give up their free servants, but you'd also just end up killing them. Not even Hogwarts can support that many House Elves. The only true 'free' Elves, is the ones that live in areas that have high amount of magic. Sadly there aren't that many places in the world, and the majority of these places have other creatures that live there that need that magic, creatures that would fight to the death to defend their home from other creatures that want to move into their land if they need to, if the land didn't have enough magic for them all. So if you really want to help them, I'd suggest making it so there are laws in place to regulate how they're treated."

He took a deep breath as he winded down. "Sorry to rant like that, but that needed to be said before Hermione built up steam." He returned her mock glare with an amused smile. "Now if you don't mind, I'll see what these letters say, I'll see you all in the morning." Harry finished before bidding them all good night. The Grangers returned the gesture, still thinking about what he'd said; if nothing else could be said about the family, it's that they were thinkers through and through.

An hour later Harry finally finished reading his letters. They were all pretty basic; 'How are you doing, I'm doing blank. I'm having a lot of fun with blank, how is it in a Muggle house?', questions and such like that. Ember sent a letter saying she was ok, and Ronald Weasley was behaving himself at the moment, and that she would write more in a few weeks. He quickly replied to the letters, making a small identical message at the top of all of them explaining why he hadn't written back to them and that he might not being able to write back even now that he'd fixed the problem since he would be going on holiday the next day.

The only letter of note was from Susan. She explained that she had talked to her aunt and during their talks the subject of Familiars and eventually Aneira came up. Amelia, Susan's aunt, had ended up wondering if he and Aneira had bonded completely. Susan went on to explain the process in case he was unfamiliar; it was simple enough, Aneira would bite him hard enough to make him bleed in her Tigran form so she could drink his blood and her saliva would be in his bloodstream. Harry briefly wondered why he hadn't done it before, but then remembered he would be left bedridden for several days so their magic could intertwine, and so he hadn't had time while school was still in session.

Harry replied that he had not bonded with his Familiar, but likely would when he got back from France and had a few days he could spend out of commission.

Hedwig looked delighted at all the mail and glared daggers at him when he tried to tell her which letters were for who. Harry chuckled, gave her an owl treat in apology for his lack of faith in her abilities and a scratch on the neck in the spot she really liked and sent her on her way. After that was all done he had nothing left to do, so he turned in for the evening.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note - Please read to the end:**_ Here ends the first part of the new saga of The Serpent's Lair Saga, I would like to thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. For those who want to know, this is the year that the lemons begin, and so when you see this ( . Y . ) the lemons will soon begin and has ended. It'll also be the year Harry gets darker too, so please suspect a few twist and towns. But when you review I would like to ask you to give me ideas for the summer chapters, whilst I have a few ideas to make the summer longer, at best I would say it could make at least one maybe two more summer chapters, but I want at least five or so chapters for the summer. At the moment I have two chapters from the original version of this story and as I said maybe one or two new chapters if I am lucky. So any ideas will be welcomed.

I'm still looking for a Co-Writer, not a Beta Reader, as I got someone for that, but I would like a Co-Writer. I want one because I only use basic words as I am dyslexic, but I want someone to help me to use other words much better for what happens. Not only that, but I want a Co-Writer who'll give me better ideas for what should happen in a chapter. As I have been told that sometimes what I write isn't always the best option/outcome, and so would like a Co-Writer to discuss my options and so do better in the story.

I hope what I have done with the chapter, and how I set things up in the story. I'm still looking for OC Mystics, and if you were reading the side story, I'm looking for OC Books of Zeref's: Etherious. If you can help me, please let me know of any ideas you might have. Any that I like, I'll use in this story and give you thanks for them.

_**With all the new stuff that I have added in the first two saga, I would like to ask what you would like to happen during the summer holiday and during the second year. As there's so much to add with the Mystics, and a few things that I have added in the side-story.**_

_**I still would like to know what other Technomagic Cyborg could have, what skills he can gain over time? At the moment he has the basics skills, but I would like to hear what you would like him to be able to do.**_

_**There is another question I would like you to think about: should I have the basilisk killed at the end of the saga or not? I say it is more useful dead and being in the money as I think about it. But I would like to hear your thoughts about it, and I'll go with the most outspoken thoughts. (Going to have a poll about this soon.)**_

_**During the second year, what pranks should Harry and the twins pull? I hope you can help with this as I'm wanting a few magical and non-magical ones. Please help me out here, as I'm after some ideas and would like to use some of them soon. I'm now looking for a prank that the Weasley Twins could pull on Harry first, as it'll start off a prank war between the three of them, any ideas please let me know.**_

_**I'm still after ideas of how Harry could turn his friends Dark and joining him, instead of using Confundus Charm. Any and all ideas are welcomed.**_

Just a reminder, if I get a flame review and they are guests and aren't helpful I'll be removing them. But if they point out a problem that needs to be fixed, or ideas that I could use to make the story better I'll keep them. I'm not against flame reviews, but only if they are helpful and help me to become a better writer. Otherwise I don't want to know about them. Please consider this when reviewing, as I don't want you to waste your time or mine in useless flame reviews that if not going to be helpful aren't going to be seen.

One last thing, I'm going to put up a poll now, as to know who should open the Chamber of Secrets, Ginny or Ember. Both got good reasons for me to do so:

Ember: Further contrive loyalty, within Ember to Harry.

Ginny: Simply put, make it so that she is indebted to Harry. (If you pick Ember, please let me know your ideas on how to add Ginny.)

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story.

_**Next on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ In the next chapter, Harry leaves England for his holiday. Harry also meets Lockhart, and the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange, Anastasia - read side story to learn more. If you got any ideas for the next chapter, I would like to hear them, if possible ideas on how to make the part with Lockhart better. Next chapter won't be as fast, as I'll be needing to write most of it from fresh.

_**(Beta's Note: **_I plan on contacting Rowling about making Vulcan into an animated series/cartoon. And I would like to know on beforehand if there is anyone who knows, and is skilled, how to make a cartoon/animated series…. Because if I get permission from her to make it I would want to start right away.)


	21. Chapter 18 - The Serpent's Lair: Part 2

_**Chapter Eighteen... **_

_**The Serpent's Lair - Part 2!**_

_**(Anastasia Lestrange!)**_

_(Harry Potter) 1st of July:_

The next morning, Harry and the Grangers woke up early to do a bit of last-minute packing. Things which had been forgotten or neglected were now ready to be taken with them on vacation. At half past ten that morning, they left for Portsmouth International to catch the twelve-thirty ferry to Cherbourg in France. When they got to Portsmouth International just after eleven, they did a bit of shopping before deciding to have an early lunch.

During lunch, Harry asked how long it would take them to get to Cherbourg. Dan explained the trip to Cherbourg would take about four and a half hours, but they would be staying a motel for the night. The next day, after doing some sightseeing and shopping, they would begin their twelve-hour drive to La Grande Cosse. Seeing Harry's shocked expression at how long it was going to take them, Emma explained they would split the drive over two days and spend the night at another motel before arriving at La Grande Cosse. Dan then went on to explain that La Grande Cosse was a nudist camp with a private beach.

Emma reassured Harry that only part of their time would be spent there, and that he did not have to take all of his clothes off if he felt uncomfortable doing so. Harry was very happy about that, as he had never been naked around others before, but he was also excited about the idea. He concluded he would wait until he was at the camp before decided whether he would or not he would go without clothes.

As they waited for the ferry to leave, Emma and Dan visited the bar to get something to drink while Harry, Hermione, and Mel strolled around the ship.During their walk, they passed by a few stores, one of which appeared to be a bookstore.

Mel's eyes lit up as she asked in a whisper, "Hey Harry, do we think we could get some comics?"

"What are you thinking?" Harry asked the young girl, "You don't need to ask me about buying comics. It's up to you what you spend your money on."

"He's right, sis," Hermione admitted to her sister, "He's not Mum and Dad, you know."

"I know that, but what I meant is that we should buy some comics to see if we could copy any of the moves over the next few months." Melody explained to Hermione and Harry.

"Hmm, that might not be a bad idea," Harry admitted thoughtfully, "It is how most Mystics learn to use their powers, so we might be able to find a few new ideas in some of the comics."

"I never thought about that," Hermione replied, "but I would like to get a few comics and see what we can do."

For the next hour, the three pre-teens looked around the shop to see what comics they had and which ones they could try to learn from. In the end, Melody decided to get some Star Wars comics because she and her father were into Star Wars, and thought that some of the abilities in series would be very useful, even the darker skills.

Harry wasn't sure what to get. Normally he would get comics that were based around his own abilities; fire and earth skills. However, now he felt he should branch out a bit. After some thought, he bought a Japanese comic, called a 'Manga,' that the clerk recommended. It was titled 'Naruto', and Harry vaguely remembered Dudley watching it from time to time.

Harry decided to give it a try, as he found the basic plot fairly interesting: A Great Demon Fox, the Kyuubi no Yoko, attacked the home village of the protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, when he was a baby. As nothing could be done to kill the demon, he was used as a container so that the beast could be sealed within him. Sadly, both his parents died doing this, and Naruto grew up alone, and ostracized at times because some thought he was the Fox in disguise. Harry could empathize in some ways, and that, as he believed, was essential to enjoying comics of any kind. From what Harry remembered of the show, Naruto gained some sort of ability that allowed him to create clones. Once the clones were eliminated, he would retain all of their experiences and knowledge. Harry thought this would be a very useful skill to learn if he was able to.

Hermione was luckier and found her normal fare, Birds of Prey, in stock. It was about Barbara Gordon, who used to be known as Batgirl until The Joker paralyzed her. Later, she founded the Birds of Prey, a team of female heroes. Hermione liked this comic because it was about a team of eleven females, and while there were a few who had superpowers of their own, there were also those who had no powers at all, and fought crime with only their wits, fighting skills, and technology. Hermione thought she might be able to gain ideas from the comics that fit into her own needs, and create things from the comics to help her friends and family.

Once they got their comics, they returned to Emma and Dan at the bar where they went as a group to the poolside for a few hours to swim or sunbathe. Later, they had a quick meal before docking at Cherbourg, followed by some minor sightseeing before they booked into the Hotel Du Louvre for the night.

That night, Melody and Hermione were with Harry in his room, talking about the comics they purchased that afternoon. Harry started things off, "So which of the comics do you think we should start of with? Each of the comics have their own unique abilities in them."

"I don't mind, to be honest," Hermione told them, "as I'll likely not be able to learn anything from them." Harry was about to deny that and say she might, but Hermione continued before he could, "You may think I might, but I'm being realistic. You said it yourself, Harry. I'm more of a person that learns magic that is proven and documented, than by using my imagination and gaining powers that way. It might be impossible for me to learn, so I think it would be better for me to look over Birds of Prey, and see what ideas I can come up with to help you."

"Hermione, Hermione, you seem to be forgetting something," Harry smiled at her sadly, "You forget that we do what seems to be impossible each time we do magic. No, you might not be able to learn magic the same way your sister and I are able to, but just giving up before you try? Where is the Hermione I know from Hogwarts? That Hermione wouldn't back down from a challenge. Not before she at least tried her best first."

"Thank you, Harry." Hermione whispered to him with a hug.

"You're welcome, Hermione. I just don't want you to give up before you even try." Harry told his friend, "So which comic should we start with?"

"I think we should start with Star Wars," Melody told her new friend and her sister.

"Why's that?" Harry asked while Hermione perked up. The bushy haired Granger was less interested in Star Wars compared to Mel and their father, but she was still familiar enough with the story's universe through second-hand info that she could safely agree there was some stuff that they could try out.

"Harry, you have already got what the comics call Force Pull and Push." Melody explained. Before either Hermione or Harry could correct her, she went on to say, "Yes, I know you would call it summoning and banishing, but the two skills are more or less the same as Force Pull and Push. So I was thinking that Harry could teach us how to do this and work up from there. And it's not like we need to follow the Jedi Code or anything, so we're not limited to just one set of abilities."

"Well, you do have the Force Lightning down." Hermione joked at her sister, to which Mel giggled.

"Shame I won't be able to use Force Lightning for a while though; it looks like it'd take a huge amount of energy." Harry sighed at this. Looking up and seeing his friends' shocked faces, he asked, "What?"

"You'd said you've never seen or read Star Wars before, so how would you know about Force Lightning?" Hermione asked her friend.

"It is true, I haven't," Harry admitted, "but I once saw a scene as I was cleaning up at the Dursleys, and saw, I think it was the Dark Emperor, using Force Lightning."

"Oh, that would be Emperor Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious," Melody told Harry.

"So, after Force Pull and Push, what skills do you think we should we learn?" Harry asked the girls.

"I'm not too sure, but I think the Jedi Mind Trick could be a good one to have eventually." Melody reasoned. "Being able to alter a person's mind would be useful, it's basically hypnotism. The Sith use a version that also allows you to use a person's worst fears against them. Not saying we ever would, because that seems excessively cruel, but the option is there."

"As for an ability to learn after Force Pull and Push… well Force Slow sounds like a really good move to use against other Mages and Mystics. It would slow them down physically and mentally, limiting their choice of spells and ability to cast and aim them quickly." Melody suggested.

"While I'm not as big of a fan as you and dad, I've heard about Force Body, Force Speed, and Force Strength," Hermione added her two cents before going on, "not only those three, but also the Force Powers that help with the senses. I think those would be useful."

"That's not a bad idea, Hermione," Melody smiled at her sister.

With a thoughtful look on his face Harry was silent for several moments before he said, "Those are some good ideas, but do either of you two know how we can learn these skills?"

Now it was Melody and Hermione who had the thoughtful looks as they considered this. Unfortunately, the answer eluded them.

"To be honest, I'm not sure, myself," Melody admitted to Harry and her sister, "I think some of them were explained in a few of the comics that I read before, but I'm not sure. I can look through the comics we've got here, and get some more later, and once we get home I can look in the attic for some of my old ones to see if anything is said in them. If not, we can always just experiment until we make some progress. Isn't that half of the fun in learning a new power? Trying to experiment and see if we can do them or not? A power that only we and the people we want to learn it? Sure it'll be hard, but that's half the fun… or it is to me, at least." She finished hesitantly, realizing just how excited she was getting.

Harry had to admit, he did like the idea; it was a very appealing thought. While he knew that there was a Mystic or two out there with such powers, it would be nice if only he and his friends could have them. If they were able to learn it, that is. Even if they were only able to learn the basics, the skills from the source material would be a start in the right direction.

Harry smiled excitedly, making Melody's brief insecurities disappear. "You're right, it would be fun. In fact, there's a skill that I would like to try and learn over the summer. It's from these Naruto comics that I got, and is called the Shadow Clone Jutsu. It's a skill that makes copies of yourself. Not only that, but whatever the clones learn, you would learn, as well, once you cancel the clone or clones. So I was thinking it would be very useful to learn if we wanted to obtain large amounts of information quicker. Even if we can only make one clone, that still doubles the information gained." He said, knowing full well both girls would be all but salivating at the thought.

He liked the idea, as he could have them finish off his Ghost Rider skill that he wasn't able to do just yet, as he was afraid of dying if he messed up while changing important body parts. To have these clones do it instead of him would be very useful. Not only that, but there were so many other ideas he could use the clones for, including having a clone become Maverick while he was at Hogwarts or on holiday like he was currently. This way, no one would suspect that Harry Potter and Maverick were the same person later on.

His assumption that the two would be excited about the Shadow Clones was correct. Melody's unfocused eyes stared at the space three inches to Harry's left as she imagined all the books she could read. A blush overtook her face as her hidden dirty side flashed a mental image of her being snuggled by two Harry's at once, but she quickly shook it off.

Hermione was in a similar state, staring four inches to Harry's right. The only difference was that her slightly older age reflected in her fantasies, which mirrored her sister's, but also involved kissing and wandering hands.

Before they could say or think more about this, or talk about the other skills they would like to learn, there was a knock on the door. Harry, being the closest, answered it. The door opened to reveal Dan and Emma.

"Okay, you three, it's time for bed," Emma announced, earning her groans of disappointment from her daughters, "I know you want to stay up, but we've got a few long days ahead of us before we get to La Grande Cosse."

She elaborated for Harry's benefit, "really, did you think we would put you through a ten-hour drive and not make stops along the way for sightseeing? That would be exceptionally boring and a huge waste of potential fun. Besides, if we spent ten solid hours in the car, none of us would be able to walk when we tried to get out."

Harry smiled at this; he wasn't exactly thrilled about the prospect of being in the car for that long, regardless of how spacious it was. Bidding the Grangers goodnight, he endured a 'Hermi-hug' from Emma before they all went to their respective rooms to get some sleep.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_(Anastasia Lestrange) 2nd of July - Lestrange's Cottage:_

Anastasia Lestrange, or Anya, as her mother called her, was sitting in the kitchen of the cottage that she and her mother lived in for the last eleven years. She couldn't help but to be a bit excited, as this would be the year she would be going to Hogwarts, just like her parents had. But she was also worried because of who her mother was: Bellatrix Lestrange, the most feared Death Eater in the last Wizarding War.

Her mother told her everything about her past; how, when she was young and somewhat foolish, she followed a man she admired and trusted above her own husband. Her mother told her that, back then before the Mystics appeared, she - like most of the wizarding world - believed that muggles and muggleborns were below them. They deserved to be nothing more than things to play with or killed, as they were the ones that stole magic from the purebloods and turned them into Squibs. Even those who didn't believe the story, still didn't like muggles and muggleborns, as they were trying to change the wizarding world to fit their own needs and beliefs, something few purebloods liked.

Anya had to agree with what her mother found out about the muggle world and their people. They can't truly be trusted. They hurt each other more than anyone in the wizarding world did each other, and would go to war for the simplest of things. Although they weren't as bad with the Mystics, they still had their own problems with the Dark Mystics trying to gain power. But from what her mother found out, it was in the nature of the muggle world, those with power often try and gain more, be it power, land or resources. In some places it was like a few Dark Wizards, but at least Dark Wizards don't always go to war to gain it, only the few Dark Lords that appear rarely.

Each of these dark wizards had their own reason for fighting against the muggles and muggleborns, but the outcome was meant to be the same: to make them into nothing more than slaves and playthings, to be used or disposed of as desired. The one that her mother followed was the latest Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, or as most known now called him, You-Know-Who, which she thought was a stupid name.

Lord Voldemort shared popular pureblood beliefs about muggles and muggleborns. For many years, her mother followed the latest Dark Lord loyally, without fear, and without a second thought, despite how he treated his followers, the Death Eaters. Voldemort would easily torture and kill people should they fail a task, even if he knew the task to be impossible. She would understand if the task was easy to do and they failed, but when they were outnumbered and about to be caught or killed, she believed they did the right thing by retreating.

For the longest time, her mother didn't think like that, and was tortured many of times, often for the simplest of reasons, mainly because the Dark Lord was angry and had to take it out on someone. Because of this, her mother became crazy, and in doing so became the most dangerous and fanatic of the Death Eaters. She would do anything that her Master asked of her, even sleep with other men so that her Master could get what he wanted.

However, everything changed for her mother when she was born. It took her until two years ago to tell her daughter the truth about who her father was. It wasn't Rodolphus Lestrange, but the Dark Lord himself. Her mother finally snapped when Voldemort denounced her as his daughter, all because of the old ways, since she wasn't a boy. This was something her mother couldn't abide by, despite having been loyal to Voldemort for years, even when others weren't.

With this one act, Anya's and her mother's lives changed forever. Feeling betrayed by the one person she followed faithfully for years, her mother made plans to double-cross the rest of the Death Eaters. With the apparent death of Lord Voldemort, and Harry Potter becoming the Boy-Who-Lived, things seemed to calm down a lot. Many of Voldemort's known followers were to stand trial for their actions. Those Death Eaters not wealthy enough to bribe themselves out of punishment, lied their way to freedom, claiming to have been under the _Imperius Curse_. Like sheep, the wizards and witches believed them. On the other hand, the Mystics these trials did not, but seeing they had no control over the law within the wizarding world, they couldn't do anything.

Thanks to Voldemort's betrayal, Bellatrix double-crossed the rest of Death Eaters that didn't say they were under the _Imperius Curse_. She even informed the Aurors about the attack that her husband, brother-in-law, and Bartemius Crouch, Jr., were about to conduct on the Longbottoms, as they believed they knew where their Master was.

Since her mother betrayed her former master, she and her mother had moved in with her Aunt Narcissa and her husband, Lucius Malfoy. For the first few years they stayed at the Malfoy's, her mother regained some of her mentality thanks to not being repeatedly tortured by her former Master. Her mother was also busy during this time, as she did one thing Bellatrix Lestrange never thought she would do: look into muggles.

Anya had to agree with what her mother found out about the muggle world and their people. They can't truly be trusted. They hurt each other more than anyone in the wizarding world did each other, and would go to war for the simplest of things. Although they weren't as bad with the Mystics, they still had their own problems with the Dark Mystics trying to gain power. But from what her mother found out, it was in the nature of the muggle world that those with power often try and gain more, be it power, land, or resources. In some ways, it was like a the dark wizards, but at least dark wizards don't always go to war to gain it, only the few dark lords that appear rarely.

Anya learnt that with the betrayal of her father with her mother, she wanted to gain everything that was once Voldemort's, be it power or money. Everything that was once Voldemort charm's, her mother wanted it be hers one day. But her mother knew that it would take time, she would need to gain power and people to follow her.

She was surprised to learn that her mother believed she was to be the next Dark Lady by birthright. But unlike her father, her mother didn't want her to ally herself only with purebloods, but with half-bloods and muggleborns who were Mystics, as well. The pureblood allies were for the money and the political power that they held, while the Mystics were because they were stronger and more powerful than the normal wand users.

Her mother went on to say that someone had to take control, and she wanted that person to be her daughter - not some corrupt government leader. The current politicians already kill, murder, and rape people, and get away with it, all because they're good at their job. At least Dark Magic Users were more open about it - something she was all for. She trusted those types more than some lying government official; at least they didn't lie about what they are. Sure, they used blackmail and bribery to get out of such things, but that's the way of life for those with money and power. So her mother said that if this was the type of person already in power, she would prefer her own daughter in power and be open about it.

When she learned this, she realized the reason for a few things in her life. Like why after four years living with Aunt Narcissa , Uncle Lucius, and Cousin Draco, her and her mom moved to France to live in the muggle world, which was something that surprised Anastasia after learning about her mother's past thoughts about them. Bellatrix explained that the reason for this was so that she could become a Mystic herself, so that she would become stronger and more powerful than her mother and father ever were. Not only that, but so Anya could learn to understand them like she was beginning to understand them, and their technology. Understanding their technology was something Voldemort seemed to forget about, and her mother feared would have been the Dark Lord's downfall in time.

After seeing the Star Wars movies a few years ago, she began watching the cartoons, playing the games, and reading the comics non-stop to learn and use the powers of the Sith. She learned the basics, like Force Pull and Push, seeing that they were similar to Summoning and Banishing. Further on, she began to learn such skills as Force Jump, Force Stun, and a few other Natural Force Powers to build up her defence skills before going onto some of the Sith abilities.

Anya first started to learn the dark side of the Force last year, when she started to use Force Rage. From what she read, it allowed the user to tap into his or her innermost fears, pain, and hate, and convert them into an intense rage. They could then channel that rage to increase his or her own speed, strength, and ferocity. However, the body could not handle such rage for long periods of time, so the user became greatly weakened for some time after it subsided, which is why she could only use it for short periods, having only fully learned it a month ago.

There were a few other Sith abilities Anya was learning. The main one was Drain Knowledge, which would allow her to extract knowledge out of a sentient being without its consent, but it also went beyond simple reading of thoughts. The Drain Knowledge ability disrupted the Force to steal deep memories and information in a violent and merciless way. The the problem was that such a process might damage the subject psychologically, so she had to be careful how she used it. So far she hadn't fully mastered the ability, as each time she used it on a person that her mother brought home, she wouldn't always get what she wanted, and she occasionally damaged the subject. While it was something she learned not to be bothered about, it was also something she didn't want to do too often, as to it would begin to raise questions.

The latest ability she started to learn was Create Force Wraith, which, as the name suggested, would allow her to create Force Wraiths. If done correctly, these wraiths would be shadowy creatures, standing between one to four meters tall, who would obey their creator's every command. The creatures were meant to radiate pure evil, giving off emanations of cold and death to those who can sense such things. From what Anya had found, Force Wraiths could be ordered to perform specific tasks, such as spying, as they could become invisible, and could even be used as warriors.

Studying to learn the Force wasn't the only thing she did over the last few years. Anya was going to muggle school to blend into the area, and to learn for herself what the muggles were like. As her mother wanted her to be able to draw her own conclusion about the muggles.

Aside from her muggle schooling, Anya was being taught about the wizarding world, too, so that she would be ready for Hogwarts. Learning both, Anastasia Lestrange wasn't all to happy about either of them, and could see why her mother wanted her to take them over. They needed a strong leader; someone who was willing to change things, even if it meant using darker methods.

One of the things her mother taught her was how to use Darkness Magic, which allows a person to manipulate shadows and darkness to the user's will. It was a skill that her mother said she and other Death Eater's learned, and so should only be used in public when really needed, as people would consider her a dark witch before she was ready. As being a Lestrange would already mark her as a Dark Witch, there was no need to make things worse than they already were.

Another thing Anya was learning was an idea she got from watching an anime called _Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge_. The ability she was trying to learn was from the character Morrigan, who was a Succubus. She had decided, at the request of her mother, to save the sexual abilities until she was older. Instead, she was learning the ability with wings, which can reshape the wings into spikes, tentacles, and blades when attacking her enemies, as well as using them to shield herself from enemy attacks.

She wasn't able to get far with this ability, yet, but that was mainly due to the fact that she only found it a few months ago. She was currently trying to form the wings onto her body, which she suspected would take some time. She was also looking into other abilities that a Succubus may have in other anime, such as Rosario + Vampire, which she heard also featured a Succubus character.

It was two weeks into the summer holidays, and so far it wasn't too bad for Anya, mainly because there wasn't much to do. The few friends that she had were on holiday, so she had no one she could talk to. But today marked the start of a bad summer, as she would spending it with her cousin, Draco Malfoy. The little shit was annoying as hell, and if he didn't get his way, he would throw around his father's political power as a threat. How he got into Slytherin, she would never know, as he didn't have an ounce of cunning in him, and was always relying on his father to make everything happen for him.

The only reason she bothered with the annoying little shit was for her mother's sake, as she and Aunt Narcissa were close. Otherwise she would have nothing to do nothing with him. At this time, she was waiting for her mother to get ready before they went to _Rue de Lumière _to meet up with the Malfoys.

Anya's thoughts were interrupted by her mother calling for her in French, _"Are you ready dear?"_

"_Yes, mum," _Anastasia Lestrange replied unhappily, _"Can't we just say we forgot and go somewhere else? I really don't want to be near that little brat that I call a cousin."_

Bellatrix giggled at this, knowing how little Anya and the Malfoy Heir got along, _"Dear, I know you __don't __get along with each other, but we are Blacks, and unless they betray the family, we stick together no matter what. And I __miss your Aunt Narcissa; I__ haven't seen your Aunt Narcissa for a few months."_

"_Fine, fine…" _Anya huffed at this, then a thought popped into her mind, one that often did, _"Are you sure that Draco is a Black, mother? He doesn't act like one."_

"_Haha, oh dear, you always say that and I always tell you that he is," _Bellatrix laughed at her daughter, _"but I do understand why you ask. If it wasn't for the fact that Narcissa gave birth to the little shit, I, too, would wonder about it. I think he is spending too much time around his father instead of his mother. Then again, at least Lucius is a bit more cunning than his son. I think the problem is that his father spoilt his son way too much, and now Draco thinks that his father will always get him out of trouble. Now dear, get your cloak, we're going to meet up with them."_

"_Fine, I'll get my cloak," _Anya said as she departed.

Bellatrix laughed at her daughter as she got her cloak. She had never liked her cousin Draco, even when they were children. Not that she could blame her, with the way he acted. But as she told her daughter: unless they betray the family, the Blacks stick together.

Anya interrupted her mother's thought as she returned with her cloak. After a brief check to ensure they had everything they needed, they proceeded to floo to _Rue de Lumière._

_**o0OoO0o**_

_(Anastasia Lestrange) 2nd of July - Rue de Lumière:_

Anya and her mother exited the floo at the Floo Stop Inn, a place for those making floo calls or trips. Each room had its own private fireplace, charmed so that only calls were allowed, and there was a set of floos in the main lobby for those wishing to travel. There was a restaurant and bar just past the lobby for those waiting on an empty fireplace, as well as rooms upstairs available to rent for the night.

Once Anya and her mother exited the Floo Stop Inn, they found themselves in the magical shopping district known as _Rue de Lumière_. They were shocked to see that the bookstore next door was crowded and jammed with what seemed to be mostly witches around Bellatrix's age.

Their confusion was quickly dispelled when they saw posters of a wizard with wavy blonde hair, and particularly straight and shiny teeth, wearing a flamboyant and flashy blue robe. Like other magical posters, it was moving, giving the ladies charming smiles and sly winks. Bellatrix read the text at the bottom of the poster aloud.

_Today at Flourish and Blotts:_

_GILDEROY LOCKHART_

_Who'll be signing copies of his new book:_

_MAGICAL ME_

_Today 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m._

"_**Him!?" **_Bellatrix sneered once she finished reading the poster.

"_Do you know him, mum?" _Anya asked her mother, wondering why her mother held such disdain for the man.

"_Not personally, no,"_ Bellatrix admitted to her daughter, _"but your _Aunt Andromeda _had the misfortune __of__ meet__ing__ him when he was at Hogwarts." _

Anya was shocked to hear her mother talk about her other sister; they split up after Aunt Andromeda left Hogwarts, as she decided to marry a muggleborn, something the Black family was strongly against because of their beliefs about muggleborns. Her Aunt Andromeda was kicked out of the family because of her marriage, and since that day no one in the family had talked to Andromeda. Her Uncle Sirius may have, but he was a different and difficult story.

"_He tried to hit on her a few times,"_ Bellatrix went to say, darkly, _"he wouldn't take no for an answer. And I didn't blame my sister at all, that man had no skills other than __his ability in __charms. He was, by all rights, the scum of the Earth. At one point your Aunt Narcissa had to step in to save Andromeda from him, as he used __some c__harms to try and have his way with her. __He didn't even get__ expelled from Hogwarts. _Dumbledore_," _she spat his name, _"said it was __just a __mistake and __that Lockhart__ should have a second chance__, so __nothing happened to __him__. The family wasn't happy about __that__, but with no Black on the Board of Governors, there was little we could have done. Though that didn't mean your Uncle Sirius didn't prank the living hell out of him," _Bellatrix smiled fondly of the times before everything changed, before her former Master truly started to rise and gained allies.

Before anything else was said or done, they heard an English girl giddily exclaim, "Ooh I've heard of him! He's done so many things in his books, like in_ Wanderings with Werewolves_ where he defeated the Wagga Wagga Werewolf. He's one of the few living heroes in the Wizarding World. Mum, can we see him?"

As the two Lestrange's turned round, they saw a head of brown, bushy hair atop a brown-eyed girl, walking with who they assumed was her family. There was a boy with them who didn't look to be related. While the sister nodded in agreement, he shook his head at the girl, unable to be bothered to care much. He seemed to dislike the idea of meeting the man at first glance, but appeared to want to not make a big fuss about it.

The boy had black hair and green eyes. There was a sense of power coming off him, but something was off about him that Anya couldn't explain. While she was trying to figure out the boy, Anya saw the girl's parents exchange almost exasperated looks before they agreed to visit the store. The young boy followed along, a thin frown barely noticeable on his face.

As the family and the boy entered the shop, Anya seemed to have her thoughts drifting towards the boy, wondering who he was. She didn't know why, but the black-haired boy caught her interest; she wanted to learn more about him. _"Mum, I'm going into the bookshop. I want to see if I can find out who that boy is," _Anya told her mother.

"_Oh? Has my daughter found herself a handsome young Dark Wizard to follow?_" Bellatrix teased her daughter.

"_Mother!"_ Anya said with a bright red face before she entered the shop.

Bellatrix had a knowing smile as she followed her daughter into the bookshop. She knew the signs; she was her daughter's age once. Like her, she denied it when confronted, but her mother had known differently, too. She also sensed that the boy was powerful for his age - something she and her own mother looked for in a man, and although her daughter didn't know it, it would seem she liked a strong male, too. It would seem that, if she wanted her daughter to be a Dark Lady, she would have to teach her how to control her men first, before they took control of her.

That was for later; for now, she had to do some shopping with her daughter, so she brought her mind back to the present. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door said in French, _"Calmly, please, ladies… don't push, there… mind the books, now…" _He proceeded to hold his wand up to his throat and repeat the message in several different languages. Anya and her mother had to squeeze inside. A long line wound around the interior of the shop, leading to the back, where Gilderoy Lockhart would be signing his books.

"Oh, there you three are. Good," Anya heard the mother from of the family from earlier. She sounded breathless, and kept patting her hair, probably because of all the people pushing their way around. She would have needed to shove even harder to get to her children and their friend. "You shouldn't run off like that with this many people. You could get hurt - or worse, kidnapped." The trio apologized, and the mother continued on, "We should get in line, I hear Lockhart will be here any minute now."

Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view and sat at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat sat at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.

A tall, irritable-looking man was dancing around the crowd, taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

"Out of the way, there" He snarled at the girl with the family, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the _Daily Prophet _and _Magique News Weekly _-"

The black haired boy from earlier was quick to rise to her defence. "Big deal," he snapped, stomping hard on the photographers foot. While the boy might have had intended to merely make a pointed and painful statement, the end result of probably breaking a bone in the man's foot seemed quite satisfying to the boy, especially once he saw the girl he was helping flinch when she took a step back, her own foot hurting from when the photographer had stepped on it.

Gilderoy Lockhart heard the photographer's pained expletive and looked up. His eyes instantly locked onto the disgruntled form of the black haired boy glaring at the man, and the two girls beside him, obviously sisters by their similar appearance. He shook his head in disbelief. It took a few moments, but when Lockhart spoke next, his words caused a momentary hush in the store, "It can't be... Harry Potter?"

_**o0OoO0o**_

_(Harry Potter) 2nd of July - Rue de Lumière:_

It was morning, and Harry and the Grangers found themselves up early so they could have breakfast and leave by eight o'clock, getting to Paris as soon as possible, preferably before lunch. The plan was to have lunch and spend the next few hours looking around the city before carrying on with their trip before staying at another hotel for the night.

The four-hour ride sped by, and they were in Paris before they knew it. The five of them visited the Eiffel Tower, the American Library near the tower, and a few other places before going to the _Rue de Lumière_, Paris' equivalent to _Diagon Alley_. Unlike the dilapidated Leaky Cauldron back in England, _Rue de Lumière was accessed _through Café Magique. Café Magique, like the Leaky Cauldron, was warded so that only people who had or knew about magic could see it. The patio seating was ringed with a hedge and some beautiful flowers, and smelled of breads and good food. The interior was even better; it was colorful and welcoming; the atmosphere was much warmer and more lively than the Leaky Cauldron. There was nothing overtly magical about the place, despite the potential for it.

As they approached the counter, Emma asked the lady who was in her mid twenties, "Hi, my family and I would like to enter _Rue de Lumière,_ please."

"Of course," the woman behind the desk said, "Follow me."

Harry and the Granger Family followed the lady to the back of the shop. The back patio was reminiscent of the front of the shop, with two seating areas surrounded with similar floral arrangements. A stepping-stone path paved the way towards the back wall and split the patio in two. As they approached the vine-covered, stone archway, the lady pulled her wand out of her pocket and tapped it on the wall. The stones blocking the arch slowly folded back into each other, revealing _Rue de Lumière._

As they walked they noticed that the alley was oddly similar to Diagon Alley. Everything was in French, and the items sold in the shops were slightly or vastly different depending on where you looked, but the general layout and design was still largely the same. The only immediately apparent distinction was actually the light posts. Every one of the metal poles was twisted and gnarled, but in such a way that they each looked interestingly artistic. At the top of each pole sat five diamond-shaped, glass lanterns in metal frames. One sat in the center while the other four, smaller lanterns stood off from each corner of the larger one. In the place of candles were balls of a gentle, white light, clearly made by magic.

As Harry and the Grangers walked down _Rue de Lumière_, they saw posters of a wizard with wavy blonde hair and particularly straight and shiny teeth, wearing a flamboyant and flashy blue robe. Like other magical posters, it was moving, giving the ladies charming smiles. Hermione whispered to Melody that she thought he was somewhat handsome. Harry scoffed, not seeing what was so attractive about the man. He just looked _too _perfect, like he was a doll or manufactured somehow. To distract himself he read the text at the bottom of the poster aloud.

_Today at Flourish and Blotts:_

_GILDEROY LOCKHART_

_Who'll be signing copies of his new book:_

_MAGICAL ME_

_Today 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m._

"Ooh I've heard of him!" Hermione giddily exclaimed, "He's done so many things in his books, like in_ Wanderings with Werewolves_ where he defeated the Wagga Wagga Werewolf. He's one of the few living heroes in the Wizarding World. Mum, can we see him?" Hermione asked her mother,, eagerly. Melody silently agreed, giving a small nod and an eager look. Harry shook his head, unable to be bothered to care much.

Emma and Dan exchanged almost exasperated looks, like they were resigned to have something like this happen eventually, before they gave their consent.

As they got to the bookstore they saw the front crowded and jammed with what seemed to be mostly witches around Emma's age, younger and older. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door said in French, "Calmly, please, ladies… don't push, there… mind the books, now…" in which all of the Grangers could understand - Harry could decipher it, but it took longer since he was still learning the language. The wizard then proceeded to hold wand up to his throat and repeated the message in several different languages.

Harry, Melody, and Hermione squeezed inside. A long line wound around the interior of the shop, leading to the back, where Gilderoy Lockhart would be signing his books. They all looked for books that could help them learn some new skills or even to create spells, but were not having any luck.

"Oh, there you three are. Good," Emma said as she caught up. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair, probably because of all the people pushing their way around. Emma had needed to shove even harder to get to her children and their friend. "You shouldn't run off like that with this many people. You could get hurt - or worse, kidnapped." The trio apologized and Emma continued, "we should get in line. I hear Lockhart will be here any minute now."

Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view and sat at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat sat at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.

A tall, irritable-looking man was dancing around the crowd, taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

"Out of the way, there" he snarled at Melody, moving back to get a better shot, "This is for the _Daily Prophet _and _Magique News Weekly _-"

Harry was quick to rise to her defense, delighting in an opportunity to vent some frustration gained from this whole ordeal. "Big deal," he snapped, stomping hard on the photographers foot. While Harry had intended to merely make a pointed and painful statement, the end result of probably breaking a bone in the man's foot was quite satisfying, especially once he saw Melody flinch when she took a step back, her own foot hurting from when the photographer had stepped on it.

Gilderoy Lockhart heard the photographer's pained expletive and looked up. His eyes instantly locked onto the disgruntled form of Harry Potter glaring at the man, and the two girls beside him, obviously sisters by their similar appearance. He shook his head in disbelief. Everything seemed to be going his way these last few weeks. Of all the places in the world, he would have scarcely believed he would see the Boy-Who-Lived here in France, he thought to himself. Lockhart then leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be... Harry Potter?"

The crowd hushed and parted, whispering excitedly. Lockhart dived forward, seizing Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front of the shop. The crowd burst into applause. Harry's face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Grangers, seemingly oblivious to his possibly broken toes.

But it didn't last long, Harry yanked his arm out of the blond's grasp and glared, "Take your hands off me, good sir," Harry sneered at the man, "I don't know you and I don't like being touched by strangers."

Harry was trying to do this without using violence; he knew that he had an anger problem thanks to his fire abilities. A side effect - he learned - all fire users had. For most part, he had been successful in keeping it under control, but his anger had gotten away from him twice this summer, and he wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was because he hit puberty, but he was having difficulty managing his anger recently. Normally, he might have acted differently with Dobby - a big might - but with a calmer mind, he might have talked to the guy to get his mail back. Then again, with the way the house-elf was acting, it might have been harder than he would have liked, and it may have led to violence, anyway.

He hated it when people kept what was rightfully his from him, and if they didn't agree to give it back, things would often get heated. Unless talks were successful, violence would often follow, but at least he would have tried to talk to them first. With Dobby, his mind went right to violent actions.

With this Lockhart character, his anger was building up fast. If the man didn't take his hand off him, Lockhart was going to get hurt. Strangers touching him was a bigger problem than someone keeping things him, as it harkened back to when he was being bullied by his so called family. He had never liked being touched because of that. Over the years, he got better; he got to a place where he could allow his friends to touch him without flinching too much. There were still times when he flinched, but that was when he had sudden flashbacks, which was rare and easy to handle. With strangers, it was a bigger problem unless he was the one to initiate it. A passing touch. he could handle, as it can't be helped. Something like this, though… Well, angry boy plus puberty equals pain for the man if he didn't let go.

"Hoho, I'm sorry, my boy. I'm Gilderoy Lockhart!" Lockhart grandiosely announced as he took hold of Harry's arm this time.

"Last warning. Let go of me, please. I don't like being touched by strangers," Harry said to the man, dangerously.

Lockhart seemed to ignore what Harry told him, and went on to say, quietly, through his gleaming teeth, "now, nice big smile, Harry. Together, you and I are worth the front page."

The timing seemed to be perfect, as the photographer clicked a photo precisely when Harry's elbow buried itself in Gilderoy Lockhart's abdomen. The crowd gaped and gasped as Lockhart dropped to the floor clutching his damaged stomach. Eyes were taken off Lockhart as he groaned in pain, and were now focusing solely on Harry as he glared even harder at the man and spat, "I asked you not to touch me."

Harry walked back to the Grangers, the crowd parting like the Red Sea in front of the angry boy. "Can we please go now?" Harry asked Emma, annoyed for obvious reasons.

Emma smiled at him and nodded, taking her shocked daughters by the shoulders and leading them out of the book store. It was surprising that nobody bothered them on the way out, but the attention swiftly shifted back towards Lockhart as he climbed to his feet and made some kind of announcement.

"As long as we steer clear of the bookstore, we should be able to avoid any rabid fans. Still, we should hurry things along," Emma decided.

Harry sighed, feeling guilty for cutting things short, "I'm sorry-"

Emma was quick to cut off that train of thought, "no, I'm proud of you. Just because someone is famous doesn't give them the right to put their hands on you like that. You gave him a fair warning and he ignored it; he deserved it."

"W-Wait a moment," Harry and the Grangers heard Lockhart shout as they were about to leave. Lockhart knew he needed to do something quickly if he wanted to save some face and protect his public image, "I want to apologize."

As he said this, the group looked at him in interest, not expecting it. "I'm afraid my exuberance got the better of me; most are delighted to shake the hand of someone so famous, or have a picture taken with them. My assumption, Mr. Potter, that you would be the same, seems to have led me into a faux pas, so I apologize."

Lockhart held out his hand, a grin once more on his face. This one was less gleaming, and far more friendly. Seeing this - and Emma's encouraging look - Harry returned the handshake with one of his own. He only did so, like Lockhart, so he would not lose face in the public eye. He knew that people back England, and other places that looked up to him as the Boy-Who-Lived would look down on him if he refused to accept an apology from someone like Lockhart. The crowd took that moment to burst into applause, punctuated by rapid flashes of the camera.

Once the clamor had died down, Lockhart's grin once more became toothy and fake-looking, at least to Harry. Lockhart spoke, his voice louder so everyone would hear, "in return for my earlier rudeness, I shall repay young Harry and his two friends with free copies of my complete box set!"

Harry had to admit, the man knew how to work a crowd, but the man had more to say.

"Of course, that's not all! Mr. Potter and his companions will be getting much, much more than my new book, _Magical Me_. I was hoping to keep this a bit longer, but he and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real "Magical Me." Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have the great pleasure and pride to announce that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

Harry almost rolled his eyes at how utterly excited the gathered witches were; he even saw a few faint. There were times like these that caused him to wonder how people could get so worked up over something like this. If every one of Lockhart's books were to be believed, he was quite the hero, but the chances that none of his books were exaggerated - even in the slightest bit - were dismal at best and nonexistent at worst.

None of his feats were any indicator whether or not he would be a good teacher, though. A guest speaker, definitely, but not a full time teacher. He also found it strange that Dumbledore found someone so fast, then again, from what he heard around Hogwarts, Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers rarely lasted more than a year, and sometimes not even that long. With that in mind, it was no surprise that Dumbledore could get Lockhart so fast; he must have been on the back up list.

Harry, Hermione and Melody were given their books almost as soon as he was finished with the announcement, and were actually swept away by the suddenly ravenous crowd. Luckily, they were all deposited back into the alley, dazed but unhurt.

"I have to say, he's a showman if nothing else," Harry said, thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione, "He was only apologising to you for the way he was acting."

"No, he was only saving face," Harry told his female best friend, "He had his ass handed to him, and he had to save face somehow to the public. Offering us his box set for free was a smart move; not only did it make it so he saved face, but it made him look good at the same time. A Slytherin thing to do, I wonder if he went to Hogwarts if he was a Slytherin?" Harry asked himself thoughtfully.

"I have to agree with you, Harry Potter," a young female voice said behind them. As the Granger party turned round, they saw a small girl with thick black curls and a pale, heart-shaped face, with brown eyes. "That was a good show of showmanship, I bet if the public and the reporters weren't around, he wouldn't have done that."

"And who are you to say that?" Hermione asked the girl, in her former bossy tone of voice.

"Forgive me, my name is Anastasia Lestrange," Anastasia Lestrange introduced herself to Hermione and the rest of the group. "I'm just saying it as I see it."

For some reason the name rang alarm bells within Hermione's head; she didn't know why, but for the life her, she swore she had heard the name before. The problem was that she had no idea where she had heard it or why it was setting off alarm bells. Either way, the girl was disrespecting one of the few people she still trusted in her life. Her former idol, Albus Dumbledore, was shot down by Harry, and her trust and respect for the Headmaster was at an all time low. She didn't want to lose belief in another idol in her short life so soon.

"How dare you say that about Gilderoy Lockhart," Hermione begun to defend her idol, "he is a brave hero who has helped many people from what I read."

"That's what he leads people to believe," the young Lestrange girl told Hermione, "he might have changed since he left school, but my mother's sisters knew of him and he was only good at Charms and nothing else. He was the scum of the Earth from what I was told."

"But as you said, he could have changed since he left and is making up for what he did while at Hogwarts." Hermione defended her idol.

"Hmm, so you're one of them, then," Anastasia said thoughtfully. Before Hermione could ask what she meant by that remark, the young Lestrange went on to say, "I know you won't believe anything I say, so I'll say this: read his books cover to cover and take note of everything. And forget he's your idol; make up your own mind. I've only read a few of his books, but once you've done what I said, you'll see what I see: a fake; a fraud."

"How dare-" began Hermione, but was stopped by Harry as he put up his hand and said, "Hermione, remember what I taught you last year. Not everyone is who they seem to be. Look at Dumbledore," Harry hissed the name, "he is meant to be the good person that everyone heard about, but look at the way he treated me over the years. You might not like to hear what Miss Lestrange has told you, but she only told you to re-read his works. And this time, don't look at him as a hero, or an idol, look at him as a normal person. Look at dates, the facts, and read between the lines, and see what you find for yourself. Something I have been telling you for the last year, find out the facts for yourself, don't take what people say without looking into it yourself."

As much as she hated to admit it, Hermione did forget about it, but Gilderoy Lockhart was one of the few idols she had left, Harry being another. She didn't want to lose another one, but Harry and this Lestrange girl were right; she should look into this to see what she could find. She hoped she could prove Lestrange wrong about Lockhart.

"Fine I'll do that, only to prove you two wrong and that Lockhart did all these things," Hermione told the two of them.

"That's all I ask," Anastasia told her, "but don't be upset or angry at me if you don't like what you find out about him."

Before things could get heated, Harry asked Anastasia, "So, Miss Lestrange, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, not much. Just wanted to meet the Boy-Who-Lived," Anastasia told Harry, "You did more for us than you know."

"I did nothing," Harry told the young girl with a smile, "I was only a baby, my mother did the work with whatever she did before she was attacked."

"Be it you or your mother, I just want to come up and say thanks," young Anastasia told Harry.

"You're welcome, Miss Lestrange." Harry told the girl.

"Thanks. I'll see you at Hogwarts," was all Anastasia said before leaving.

Not much was said about the strange Anastasia Lestrange, as the group wasn't sure what to make of what just happened. They suspected that this would be a common thing for Harry, seeing that he was the Boy-Who-Lived, and people might want to thank him for the defeat of the Dark Lord in England. Although Harry and Hermione found it strange, seeing that hardly anyone back in England did this and they had to wonder why. Harry had the bad feeling that it had to do with whoever rerouted his mail, something he just remembered he hadn't sorted out yet and would have to sort out soon, as he had a few things planned which required his mail being delivered to him directly.

While the Granger finished their sightseeing and shopping in Paris, Hermione was thinking about Anastasia Lestrange. The name Lestrange was still ringing alarm bells for some reason, she would be hitting her books and see where she heard the name once got to _Hôtel Marguerite_ that night. For now, she would enjoy the sightseeing and shopping in Paris with her family and friend.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_(Anastasia Lestrange) 2nd of July - Rue de Lumière:_

As soon as Anya left Harry Potter and his group, she walked to the alley next of the Floo Stop Inn, where she meet up with her mother.

"_So what do you think of the Boy-Who-Lived?" _Her mother asked her.

"_Interesting, to say the least," _Anya told her mother,_ "I couldn't talk for long as the girl, Hermione, I think Potter called her, seemed to be working out who I was, so I couldn't learn much. But I did learn that he isn't Dumbledore's Golden Boy as __Draco __claims he is."_

"_How so?"_ asked Bellatrix.

"_I'm not sure, but from the way he talked, he had little to no respect nor trust for the man. From what I could tell, something happened between the two of them," _Anya told her mother. Bellatrix was interested, now, and and decided to send a letter to her sister to see if she could find out more information about this. _"He __seemed__ open-minded; when he left the shop, he __claimed__ Lockhart was a showman if nothing else. He __believed__ Lockhart was acting when he was giving him and his friends the box sets, and was only doing it save face."_

"_And when his friend - a fan girl if I've ever seen one - tried to defend the fool when I __agreed__ with him and __voiced my own thoughts__, Potter seemed to remind __her __that not everyone is who they seem to be. From the feeling I got from him, I think Potter will be meeting Lockhart again."_

"_Not for __the __skills that he wrote in his books, I bet,"_ Bellatrix said, thoughtfully, as she considered what her daughter told her about Harry Potter. _"Not that I blame Potter. If nothing else, Lockhart knows how to work people, and that's something young Potter will need to know in the future." _

After a moment of thought, she wondered if her daughter had been able to feel anything from being so close to Potter,_ "So Anya, when you were near the boy, what did you sense about him?"_

"_He had this air of independence about him," _Anya reminisced as she remembered what she could about the Boy-Who-Lived, "_I could __tell __he was powerful, more powerful than anyone of his age I've been around. Draco says he is weak and foolish, really, I have no idea why he keeps trying to antagonize Potter; Potter could easily crash him. And lastly, I thought that I saw a hint of darkness within his eyes._"

"_Hmm, now that is interesting_," Bellatrix said thoughtfully, "_we should keep an eye on Potter. He might be some use to us in the future._" After quickly casting a _tempus _charm, she saw that they were running late, "_We'll talk more about this later, dear. For now, we have to meet up with my sister and Draco._"

"_Do I _have _to spend the summer with them?_" Anya whined at this. While she loved her aunt, she couldn't stand Draco, and would like being anywhere other than near him. "_I could spend the summer with one of my friends._"

Bellatrix just chuckled at this and said to her daughter, "_No, dear, you cannot. Things have been arranged, and so you have to spend the summer with him. But that doesn't mean you can't torment the lad,_" Bellatrix smirked, knowing that her daughter would like this.

"_Oh thank you, mum,_" Anya hugged her mother, "_you're the best._"

At this, the two left the alley, and went to meet Anya's aunt and cousin.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_(Harry Potter) 2nd of July - Orléans, Hôtel Marguerite, Harry's __Room__:_

It had been a few hours since Harry and the Grangers departed from _Rue de Lumière_. The had used the time since then for sightseeing and shopping in Paris. Harry already got a few cool gifts for his friends, one was to be Ember's thirteenth birthday gift in October.

They were currently in a small town known as Orléans, a few hours away from_La __Grande Cosse_ and were staying in the_ Hôtel Marguerite _for the night. The Granger family was looking around the town while Harry stayed in his hotel room; he had spent the first hour reading the books that Lockhart gave him. As he steadily made his way through the books, his urge to light them all on fire grew alongside his general disgust. Half the dates contradicted each other; only about a quarter of the spells were even real - the other spells were either fake, or had completely different effects from what was described in the books. That was all without mentioning that a cure for Lycanthropy simply did not exist, and should have been a major giveaway. Even if the cure was stupidly expensive to make, it would still be a well known and documented spell or potion. There were always rich people either looking to curry favour, or even simply stockpile it 'just in case.'

This particular scene called back to Harry's earlier assumption about the narrative being exaggerated, though. His tiny amount of understanding of the Latin language revealed that _Homorphus _roughly meant 'Shape of Man', so the spell - if it even existed - could possibly revert the werewolf back into their human form, and the book just took the supposed spell to its theatrical extreme and cured the afflicted werewolf. It certainly made for a happy ending, so Harry would normally excuse it, but the books were passed off as fact - not fiction.

The issues existed in most of the books he read in that hour or so. There were overlapping dates; spells were wrong, fake, or exaggerated; and in general, they read like a flattering exposé rather than a credible DADA textbook. The only thing the books did _right _was show Lockhart in a good light.

Harry had to admit that the fool known as Lockhart seemed to know how to play the people, and it was something Harry would have to learn. He might not like the man, but Harry was going to need to see if Lockhart would teach him what he knew, as he would need the skills when he was older.

As Harry read the books. He had to wonder that if he could work out that these books were fake or exaggerated, why hasn't anyone else done the same before? Was there a spell on the books to make it so people couldn't see these problems, or were Wizards and Witches just as stupid as Harry thought they were by default?

Harry admitted to himself that witches had an excuse, apparently Lockhart was exceptionally handsome, so the witches were reading the books for reasons other than objective knowledge; they wanted to gush and daydream about Lockhart acting the dashing hero that he portrayed. Wizards were just as bad, though without the hormonally driven lust towards the man. Harry chalked that up to general laziness and stupidity. Women, though… Harry sighed, women were strange creatures, and even the smartest of them could act weird for no discernible reason at all. Hermione Granger was the proof of it all, she was the smartest of their year, yet she, too, fell under Lockhart's spell.

Once Harry finished with his reading, he entered his mindscape to work on his Occlumency and hopefully work on keeping his anger in check. He really didn't want to let his anger control him more than it already had in the last few days, although he suspected that with him going through puberty, it might be harder than planned. He had read before that those who controlled fire would have a harder time to control their anger and lust. Thankfully, he was able to control his lust and it wasn't giving him any problems for the time being... unlike his anger, or so he thought.

_He met up with his sister like __he__ always __upon entering his mindscape__, but this time Lucy looked different. She __appeared to be__ older - around sixteen or seventeen __years old - and her__ emerald eyes glinted with amusement as she looked at Harry. Her dark, raven hair contrasted beautifully against her creamy skin; she was wearing __an obsidian crown that wrapped around the back of her head and twisted into a horn-shaped design on either side of her forehead. An orange gem was suspended from a short silver chain on each side. _

_Her outfit was more revealing than she normally wore, and appeared to be made of obsidian backed by a leather that could very easily be mistaken for lava. Small plates of obsidian covered her shoulders and arms, the breaks between them creating an opening for the leather to shine through. A divide started just below her neck where the leather curved to encase her sides; the obsidian trim on the edge was just barely enough to cover her nipples, but the tight leather was enticing none the less. The front of her torso was nearly entirely exposed, the skin-tight leather joining just below her breasts created the only hidden skin between her neck and waist. A finger-wide band of obsidian wrapped snugly around the upper curve of each hip, meeting at the inside of her legs, a third band bridging the two just high enough to cover her vagina. _

_Aside from her arms, her legs were the least-exposed part of her body. Obsidian stretched down from mid-thigh to wrap around her leg before meeting again just above her ankles; the leather occupied any would-be exposed areas, offering a compromise between protection and flexibility. __Overall, she was a seductress, and his body was reacting to her. It wasn't that he had problems with taboos such as incest, but it meant that the one thing __he thought __he had control over - his lust - was now playing up on him. _

"_Lucy, what are you playing at?" Harry asked his sister as he tried to control himself._

"_Well, seeing that we're in a hell-like mindscape, I thought I__'d__ wear something that fits the area. Don't you like it, brother?" Lucy teased her brother as she ran her hand down his face and chest, knowing full well what her body was doing to him. It was her hope to drive him mad __enough__ that he would loosen up and have some fun. She had seen what he __had been __like over the last few years. People __had been __keeping him in the grey instead of __letting him __go full-out dark as they once talked about. __Her plan was to __put her brother back on the path they had planned all those years ago __before she had to leave for good__, and this was the first step._

"_Not that I'm against it, Sis, but why are you looking like that?" Harry asked Lucy, __still struggling to__ control __his reaction__._

"_Oh, this?" Lucy said as she waved her hand over her body, "I've been trying out different bodies I would like to have should I still be around when you are sixteen. __This one's my favourite so far__."_

"_I'll admit it does look good on you," Harry admitted, blushing at this, "but could you please turn back into your normal form for me? I __would prefer not to be distracted while I__ work on my mindscape."_

"_Fine, fine, but you're no fun," Lucy told her brother before she gave him a kiss not on the check, but on the lips, lasting a few second. As __they __parted, she __briefly groped__ his cock and smirked at him as she transformed into her normal body. __The transformation__ didn't help Harry much. She kept the outfit she was wearing, which wasn't too bad, but she was hitting puberty, and it showed __in__ her __developing __breasts. _

"_So brother, what are your plans for today?" Lucy acted as if nothing was going on as the two of them were walking towards Harry's throne. _

"_I want to see if I can do anything about controlling my anger and such," Harry explained to his sister, "as the last few days, I__'ve been losing__ my anger when I could have handled things differently. I was around people, or people could have came in and seen what I was doing, so I need to see if I can do anything about it here__ \- maybe __build a few things to handle these feelings, as with puberty hitting me, I need a way to control my emotions."_

"_You do have a point," Lucy admitted, while she wanted her brother dark and evil, she didn't want people to learn about it until he could protect himself, and make sure no one could turn him back. Having his emotions__ under __control was a good idea. "So do you have any ideas on what you're going to do?"_

"_Not really, no," Harry admitted with a sigh, "I was going to come here and see what I can do once I did."_

"_Hmm, how about __you add to__ this small island of yours," Lucy told her brother, "other than the throne, there's not much here, so would people __would immediately __go to the caves. Should someone see something on the __island__, they __might __suspect that you have something here and __it would __give you time to kick them out."_

_Harry had to admit that he hadn't thought about that before, but it did make sense. __Perhaps,__ as he was altering the island, he could find a way to place his emotions somewhere. __For __what seemed to be be a few hours, Harry and Lucy worked on the island in the mindscape. The first thing that they did was __create a ten-foot pyramid with a flat top, placing it where the throne once was with the throne atop it.__Thin__, five-foot __obsidian pillars were placed at each corner, a warm glow emanating from the lava running through their cores. Steps made up of fake memories were marked by more torches, leading the way up to the throne. The real memories would be hidden inside the pyramid; __the most important __ones directly__ under his throne. __To get to the island, __Harry created four bridges. Each bridge had a gate__ which could only be opened with a hidden lever.__That __should slow anyone looking in his mind,__ and give him enough time to__ throw them out. _

_Lucy had Harry create a lava pool in the centre of the island__, surrounding a smaller island __with a statue of himself. Right now it looked like Harry, but Lucy suggested that he should build something terrifying, or something that didn't look like the real him._

_By the time they finished, they __still __hadn't sorted out __how to handle __Harry's emotions. They would deal with this at __a later __time, __though, __as Harry felt Hermione calling him for dinner. Saying goodbye to Lucy, Harry left his mindscape for the day._

_**o0OoO0o**_

_(Lucy Potter) 2nd of July - Harry's Mindscape:_

_Once her brother was gone, Lucy Potter walked up to the pool and statue that she had her brother create. She waved her hand and the lava parted like the red sea to reveal steps going down __in__to a cave she created without her brother knowing. It was one of the few places that her brother didn't know about__, and it__ was the place __where__ all __of his repressed memories were stored__. Some would __occasionally__ return to the surface__, making itself known__ until he pushed them back down again._

_She entered the icy __cave, __walking along the stone floor past windows that showed the lava outside. __Some of __the memories here __would have helped in becoming a Dark Lord if he hadn't pushed __them__ back. Some of the memories, Lucy __noticed with bitterness, were of her and Harry __when they were children. _

_It would seem that being Maverick was doing more harm than good for her plans for Harry. __Sure__, they would need the money __from it__, but he seemed to push the idea of being the new Overlord to the back of his mind __in favour of running The Abyss__. Lucy couldn't allow __that__. She would make__ sure __that her brother remembered what he truly wanted __before she disappeared for good__._

_As she made her way __further into__ the icy cave, she found a few new memories of her in her new form, and the thoughts __that accompanied them__. She smirked as she saw that her brother wanted nothing more __than __to ravage her. She __vowed__ to make sure these memories didn't stay here for long; __she __would make sure he wasn't able to fight his lust. __Before long, he would have no choice but to__ have his way with women._

_Finally, she got to where she wanted: the centre of the cave. Where a huge block of ice __stood in the centre with__ a shadowy form __visible __within it.__ It was too obscure to tell who the figure__ was, but Lucy __knew.__ she said as she ran her hand down the ice._

"_Soon, my brother... soon I'll free you from this prison you put yourself in. And when you're free, you can shake the world, and put people __on __their knees in fear. I give you my word __on __this, even if it is the last thing I __ever __do for you."_

_The darkness within the ice thrashed about, eager to be released. _

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the second part of The Serpent's Lair Saga, I would like to thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it and spend a few moments to review. I hope you read all of this note, as I would like your feedback on some of these, to help me out in the story. I hope that you enjoyed Anya, something I added, if you want a bit more info please read the side-story, although the main parts I think is in this story so you don't need to, but I might have left a few things out. I'm hoping she and a few other OC I've got will build up Harry's character, that'll lead him to the path I need him to go down.

Anyway, I'm only going to ask about two ideas today, as they are somewhat big ones, and more important at this moment, so _**please **_read them and not skip them as I need your feedback on them. As they're important to the story:

The first that I need help with is who should open the Chamber of Secrets, now I have mixed reviews about this, so let me go with the thoughts about each girl, and let you decide, and I hope you can help me with sorting out the ideas. First let's start of with Ginny, and then I'll go with Ember.

_**Ginny:**_ Now not many are bothered if she opens the Chamber or not, but there are a few who wants her to as it would be easier to do than Ember. As I could use the life debt to get her to Harry's side and use the fact to fight between Purebloods to blackmail or dethrone Malfoy from his superiority complex. But there are some who think I could add her by using the fact that she is a fangirl, and seeing that Ron could be bad mouthing Harry or talking about him, she wants to find out more for herself, and I should use this fact.

_**Ember:**_ There a few mixed reviews about this, but some believe that she shouldn't be the one to open the Chamber, as she is too close to Harry, and she already trusts Harry, and they are confident that were Lucius Malfoy to slip Riddle's diary among her schoolbooks she would begin asking questions as soon as she noticed it, starting with Harry and then the others. And as I think about this point, once it writes back to her, she would ask Harry about this. Not only that but there is one person who thinks that they always under the impression that Lucius gave Ginny the diary partly because he was hoping to discredit the Weasley family in the event of there being major fallout from the diary being discovered in her possession.

Both of the thoughts has got merits, but at the same time I _**really **_like the idea of Ember opening the chamber, and Harry using the fact that Ginny is a fangirl to get her. But as one reader already pointed out, Ember already trusts Harry and so she would go to him once she finds the book, or when she writes in it and it writes back. Although I can use the idea that the diary has spells on it so that once she writes in it, she can't easily tell anyone else, it would explain why Ginny didn't tell anyone in the book so soon until she fought it. But the main problem is how she can get the book, and not tell Harry that she has it. So if someone can help me with this, I'll be able to use Ember, but if not I'll have to go with Ginny.

The final thing for now is an idea I got about the Abyss, an idea I would like to use but I need your help to improve on. Here's the idea for it: It was stated that since I was unhappy with the Abyss, because it all happened too soon, someone suggested that I destroy it. The idea is that one of the Witch Hunter's groups or the Paladins themselves, gets a tip from one of the patrons/partners, who wasn't happy with Maverick for some reason. One I was given was that someone wasn't happy with the changes, like the sphinx and raid the place and even the half-giants and all the other security is unable to stop it (the security is after all mainly to stop cheating and brawls between patrons) and thus destroy it.

The person that gave me the idea went on to say that some of them manage to escape the attack and go into hiding. I could also have some of the minor characters like Warchief and Dante be caught by the Witch Hunters, so they can reappear later as enemies. This came about as I mentioned that some of the Witch Hunters brainwash the Magic Users, so that they kill or capture other Magical Users. Or I could have Harry rescue them a few years later, when he's stronger and learns that they are still alive.

The person went on to say that I could keep Bowser alive and busy, as he looks for who betrayed Harry and the club. This could spark a few changes within Harry. I was thinking this could be the start where Harry's darkness is awakened, as with everything that'll happen by this time, Harry snaps and allows his darkness to take him over slowly. Anyway, the person went on to say that as soon as Bowser found the one(s) responsible, Harry's rage and thirst for vengeance could make him kill them maybe even let them suffer for a bit before killing them, which Lucy would be absolutely delighted about.

The next part I'm not too sure about, but would like your thoughts about: this development would also make Harry… a bit more humble.

After his announcement to his partners and patrons regarding the Abyss, he was very full of himself in my opinion. Sitting there in his chair just saying that everything was sooooo easy because he knew exactly how they all would react and so on. If he realised, that he was so wrong by thinking that, he would act a lot more cautious for some time.

Moreover, if something like this happened, Harry wouldn't let the opportunity slip, to get his hands on a full grown basilisk, that could protect his next attempt of an underground facility; whenever he would do that.

What do you think of this ideas, is there anything else you want to see happen or do you want it to happen at all? I would like to hear your thoughts, and any ideas you might think of to go with this idea.

Now there is another idea from another person that I'm thinking to use, and it goes well with the last idea with the Abyss. Should Harry learn about Warchief and Dante, and if anyone else I decide to use, are still alive Harry could go and rescue them from being used and experimented on. During the rescue though, Harry finds out about one experiment called the 'Magic Hunter,' which is designed to be immune to most kinds damage magic or non-magic, combined with excellent hearing and sense of smell allowing him to track for miles.

His creators call him "hunter" he is a half-giant and half-bridge troll. Being part bridge troll allows him to understand how machines tend to work. He's brutal and savage in hand to hand combat. He is very loyal to the people trust. His weakness is that he isn't all that smart leading to poor judgment from time to time.

Now I know many don't review because of it being a rewrite, but I really need your help with this, so please if you can leave some feedback. As your thoughts and feedback helps me with problems like this, so either please review and/or leave me a PM, letting me know of your thoughts about these ideas or your thoughts of the chapter.

So once again thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and in return if you did, please leave a feedback for me. The longer the better. And please remember, more feedback equals faster updates, as I know what you want and I get the ideas I ask for to update sooner.

_**Next on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ In the next chapter, Summer of Fun, I won't go into detail as it'll spoil the chapter. But I can say that they'll be a few limes, and maybe a lemon. Harry will also be sorting out a few things back in England too. All will be revealed in the next chapter. (One last question, would you like it if I do a lemon between Harry and Emma, where Harry tricks her into teaching him how to masturbate and during which things get out of hand and they fuck each other.)

Remember, when you see a pair of these ( . Y . ) the lemon or lime is about to start, or has ended. So if you don't like lemons for whatever reason skip to the next pair of these ( . Y . )


	22. Chapter 19 - The Serpent's Lair: Part 3

_**Author's Note:**_ Here's the chapter that all of you perverts have been waiting for, the sex and all the other sexual things you all wanted and waited for. So here's your last warning, from this year on out there'll be underage sex, dark themes, and much more as the story comes along. So if you are under the age of consent in your country, or you're easily offended, please stop reading now, as I have warned you and if you hate what you read, you're the only one to be blamed. This chapter has Emma and Harry at the start of it, and Harry and Melody, so if you're against it just skip it when you get to these **( . Y . )** until you see them again. There's a _small _lime with Harry and Gabrielle Delacour, if this offends you as I suspect it will you can skip this when you see this** ( . v . ) **until you see them again.

**( . Y . ) = Smut/Lemon.**

**( . v . ) = Lime.**

_**Chapter Nineteen... **_

_**The Serpent's Lair - Part 3!**_

_**(Summer of Fun!)**_

_12th of July - __La__ Grande Cosse, Harry's Hut:_

It had been nearly two weeks since Harry and the Grangers started their holiday in France. Despite their time to relax, it had been a long ten days for Harry. There had been a highlight to those ten days, though. After getting the books from Lockhart, Hermione (with the help of Melody) read the books cover-to-cover to try and disprove Harry and the Lestrange girl, and prove that Lockhart was a hero.

They didn't like what they found, but the evidence was strong. There were events that happened on the same day, simultaneously, and in different parts of the world. Hermione had looked up a few of the spells, too, and found that they weren't real. It was hard, especially for Hermione, finding out that the person they looked up to was nothing but a fraud. It took a few days before things got back to normal, both girls - Melody in particular - preferring to put the embarrassing ordeal behind them.

The main problem made itself apparent a few hours after arriving at _La__ Grande Cosse_: he was a pubescent boy about to be surrounded by many naked people. Harry noticed his voice giving out and squeaking at odd times, which Dan referred to as 'cracking' once when teasing Harry about it, and - much to his own embarrassment - he began thinking about Hermione and Melody in ways more advanced than their current relationship level; something he hoped wouldn't happen again soon. Emma saw his worried look and once again explained that he didn't have to take his clothes off unless he wanted to.

Harry had hoped to have a somewhat normal holiday, doing nothing but hanging out and reading together, or just lazing about and talking about whatever crossed their minds. He had hoped to have time to go back to England for sword training, or to put in an appearance as Maverick at the Abyss.He'd also hoped to have more time to train with Aneira, who was quickly growing in both size and strength now that they had more time to be together. It would be a while before she would be as powerful as Tigrans normally were, but she was getting there. Aneira was spending most of her alone time searching the area, hunting, and training on her own while her master was enjoying his vacation.

Now, all he could think about was kissing, touching, and doing other sexual things that someone his age shouldn't be privy to, like fucking them three ways from Sunday. With puberty hitting him, it was impossible to stop thinking about. It was worse though, as his thoughts were not focused just on Hermione and Melody; he was also daydreaming about Emma.

It didn't help that his sister was teasing him - or as he would call it, fucking with his mind. Ever since she appeared in that sexy outfit and older body, she seemed to make it a point to tease him daily. She would run her hands down his body while making sexual comments. She occasionally kissed him in ways that a sister shouldn't be kissing a brother, and even played with his cock when it was hard. To make matters worse, she was doing it all in her older, sexy body. All of these factors added up and made it even harder to think, or able to keep his lust in control. Now he frequently required cold showers, or some _alone _time in the hut that the Grangers designated as his. Not even his Occlumency could do much to control his feelings for long. No matter how many times he tried to push these thoughts and memories to the back of his mind, they wouldn't stay there like the other memories he pushed back there.

It didn't help that they were at a nudist camp, where he saw a lot of hot, naked women every day. He was glad that his own nudity was optional, else people would see how this holiday was affecting him. It wasn't that he was a naive kid who didn't know about sex, because as Maverick he knew more about it than most his age. That didn't mean he wasn't embarrassed, though. It was just part of going through puberty.

The only relief he got over the last two weeks was from his few trips back to England under the excuse that he was continuing his sword training. It wasn't a complete lie, but it also wasn't the full truth.

He visited his friends to see how they and the Abyss were doing. He learned the last time he visited that Blink had taken time off to visit some people she used to know, meaning they had to use the rune portal that the Goblins created for transportation to and from the club. He also made sure to make an appearance as Maverick before going back to the nudist camp.

Harry's sword training was also going well. Unfortunately, Syrio Forel informed Harry that he would have to return to his duties as The First Sword of Braavos by Christmas. Harry was upset at this, as he was enjoying his lessons with the man, and they were one of the few times that he could forget his problems for a while. With puberty hitting him, he needed something that would distract him for a while, but he knew he had no power to stop him, as The First Sword of Braavos was only here to pay off his debt to Bowser. Syrio informed Harry that until then, they would train three to four times a week, or during the weekends while he was at Hogwarts.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted when a naked Emma Granger entered the hut after knocking. For some reason she appeared rather embarrassed.

_**o0OoO0o**_

Emma Granger was walking back and forth outside of her daughter's' friend's hut. She was nervous about the talk she was going to give Harry. Ever since they got to _La Grande Cosse, _Harry seemed to be nervous and embarrassed around them. It was something the Grangers were suspecting, as this might be his first time seeing someone else naked. Seeing that he was young and likely going through puberty, it might be a hard time for Harry adjust to the new feelings on top of the other changes he was going through. Unlike Hermione, who went through the same thing just before starting Hogwarts, Harry didn't have someone - or at least Emma didn't think so - to tell him what was going on and help him cope with it. It was considered that Harry might not been given The Talk, and so might be confused and uncomfortable with revealing himself.

Dan and Emma talked about who should ask about this, and Dan voted that Emma should be the one. To him, it was his job as a father to scare away boys that might want to be dating his girls, not help them out with such problems. It was better in his mind to have Emma give Harry The Talk if he needed it. Emma was more than happy to help out her eldest daughter's first friend.

It was Thursday afternoon at the camp, and Dan had taken his daughters out for the day - father-daughter bonding, as the couple called it - so Emma and Harry were left alone alone at the camp. This was part of the plan so that she could talk to Harry without the possibility of the girls walking in and embarrassing Harry.

Emma knocked and entered Harry's hut, to find him sitting on his bed, relaxing. Seeing this, Emma decided to make her move. She walked over and sat next to him, her action was justified when she saw Harry glance down at her breasts as they bounced before looking back up to meet her gaze, his cheeks slightly more pink than before she came in. She said with a bit of discomfort, "Since Dan and the girls are out for the day, I'd like a word with you if you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind," Harry responded. In his mind, he heard Lucy say, _"I wonder what is up with her, why she has a red face."_

"_No idea," _Harry thought back, _"might find out now."_

"Is everything alright, Harry?" Emma asked, "It's been over a week since we got to the camp, and I thought by now you would have lost your shorts. I know some people sometimes keep them on for their whole stay, but most of the time people lose their clothes in a few days. You didn't seem to mind the idea when we were back home."

Harry was embarrassed; this was something he had hoped that wouldn't come up.

"_Now this is interesting,"_ Lucy mused,_ "I think we should play along and see where she is going with this." _

Harry had to agree, he wanted to know where this could lead, and decided to be the embarrassed boy that he was at the moment.

"I've had a problem, lately... well…" he stumbled, too embarrassed to continue.

Emma seemed to realize what was wrong, as she replied with a soft smile, "You've been having a problem with your penis haven't you? It keeps getting hard on you."

Harry turned red at this.

"Yes, and I don't know why," he answered, his annoyance at not knowing overcoming his hesitation. Lucy suggested this approach to see where it would go.

Emma was shocked. She knew that his aunt and uncle were not the best of people, but she would have thought that they would have given Harry the The Talk by now, if only so he would avoid doing anything without knowing the full details of what he was doing. If not them, she assumed his old school would have had Sex Ed by the time he left for Hogwarts. She knew that not all schools had the class that early, but never considered it until now. She didn't blame those who Harry hung around, as giving a child The Talk was down to the parents/guardians and teachers, not friends.

She decided to get down to business though and obtain some facts. "Harry, have your aunt and uncle given you the talk about the birds and the bees, or where babies come from? Or did you attend a class called Sex Ed while in school?"

"My aunt and uncle told me that a freak like me shouldn't have babies, and so I shouldn't know where they come from." Harry replied simply, his tone distant. He would have preferred to never think about the vile people again, but it was an unavoidable subject at times, now apparently being one of them. Unnoticed by him, Emma was suppressing the growing rage she felt at the Dursley's for their treatment of the nice young man before her. She listened as Harry went on to say, "They said as long as I didn't know, I wouldn't be able to bring new freaks into the world. As far as I know my school didn't have a class called Sex Ed. Would it have helped?"

"DIdn't the people you hang you around tell you about it?" Emma asked hoping she didn't need to give Harry the entire talk.

"_Tell her no__,__"_ Lucy suggested with a smirk. Harry tried hard to hide his own smirk. He knew it was somewhat wrong of him to tease her like this, but she looked rather attractive like this, and he wanted to make it last a bit longer. "No, mainly because two of them are girls, and I really didn't think to ask the two male adults I know about it. Mostly I was just too embarrassed to ask them about it."

Emma felt a bit embarrassed; it never occurred to her that she would be giving The Talk to a boy who very well might use what she was telling him on one of her daughters.

With a sigh she said, "Harry, you might have noticed your body has started to change." Harry nodded shyly. "Some of those changes being your voice will get deeper, and your penis - also referred to as a cock, or dick, most commonly, but there are dozens of words people use - will get hard. This is called an erection. This is a perfectly natural reaction to seeing a lady you think is attractive. Your body and hormones are simply reacting to the attraction."

"How can I deal with my erection? It's really embarrassing having it hard all the time." A red faced Harry inquired, pretending he didn't know any better. Emma glanced down at the prominent tent in his shorts briefly. She was actually rather flattered in his interest in her; Harry was growing into quite the handsome young man and his response made her feel sexy.

Emma sighed. There was so much that Harry missed out on: a father to help him in this kind of thing, a normal childhood where he could learn things like this from his family, and many other things that she was grateful that her own children had. It took everything that she had not to head back to England now and give the Dursleys a piece of her mind.

"Harry, do you know what masturbation is?" Emma asked. She could guess the answer, and she confirmed it when Harry blinked cluelessly, but she needed to ask anyway. Yet again she sighed, wanting nothing more than to exact some righteous fury.

"Harry, masturbation is a way to relieve yourself, making it so your penis will go soft again," Emma explained, hiding her red face behind her hair slightly, struggling to believe she was explaining this to Harry. "Both men and women masturbate." She claimed, but upon seeing seemingly Harry's confused look, Emma could have hit herself. He had no context to work with, and her speech was really disorganized because she wanted to get to his problems quicker and had pushed other things to the wayside. "Women get a different kind of erection, and relieve themselves through a different way of masturbating, but that's not really the issue. For men it's very simple, all they need to do is put their hand around their cock, and start to pump it until they reach their orgasm. When a man reaches orgasm semen spurts out, but you may not be old enough for that to happen yet."

"_Ask her to show you__,__ brother__,__"_ Harry heard Lucy telling him in his head.

"_What the hell__,__ Lucy__?!__"_ Harry shouted in his head,_ "She's Hermione's mother__,__ I can't do __that__."_

"_Oh come on__,__ Harry__.__G__row a backbone," _Lucy sneered at her brother, _"you want to be the next Dark Lord or this Overlord you read about. If you can't do this small little thing, how can you do what is needed to fulfil your dreams__? __Anyway, don't you want some help __getting__ rid of some of your lust? You've seen that doing it yourself isn't helping."_

As much as Harry hated to admit it, his sister was right. If he wanted to become the Overlord, he would have to do things that no normal person would do, but lately he didn't want to ruin how things were at the moment. He didn't know what to do: keep things as they were, and forget becoming the next Overlord, or get back on the path to darkness and power.

Lucy could be right; getting Emma to give him a handjob might help, but was it worth it?

Definitely.

"Emma, could you… show me what to do?" He asked hesitantly, a bit of desperation in his voice. His cock throbbed even harder at the idea. "I don't want to hurt myself if I do it wrong."

Emma Granger hesitated. She was a happily married woman. Sure, there were a few problems with their marriage. A nasty accident had limited Dan's abilities in the bedroom shortly after Mel's birth, but she was still satisfied with what he could do. With the desperation in Harry's voice, she couldn't seem think of a reason why a short demonstration would be too bad, as long as she laid some ground rules. "I'll quickly show what to do, _if_ you promise you won't tell Dan or the girls about it. And when I show you the basics, I'll leave and you do the rest, is that understood?"

Harry fervently nodded.

"I understand," he told Emma. He didn't want to get her into any trouble, after all.

"Okay, pull your shorts down and sit between my legs," she ordered.

Harry complied, sliding the waistband of his pants down to his knees, his erection springing free of his shorts the second it was able, before getting up to sit on Emma's lap. As Harry did this, Emma eyed his cock in surprise. Dan was bigger, obviously, but her husband was also a grown man. Harry was nearly as large, and he was only an eleven - nearly twelve - year-old boy. If Harry really did get with one of her daughters, they would be in for a very happy life in the bedroom.

**( . Y . ) ( . Y . )**

Emma couldn't believe what she was about to do. Sure, part of her knew this was wrong, but she wanted to make sure that he was doing this right and didn't hurt himself. She couldn't help but watch, transfixed, as Harry's cock twitched with each beat of his heart, the taught skin showing off each tantalizing vein.

She slowly reached for him, lightly running her fingers up and down Harry's erect penis, knowing this would be the fastest way to get the young boy to cum. After a few moments, she took hold of his cock and began to stroke it, feeling the silky smooth skin slide up and down the iron hard shaft, and over the bloated purple glans, marvelling at how he felt as hard as iron and as smooth as velvet at the same time. With her other hand, she cupped his heavy, low hanging balls, admiring their weight and size, feeling each one as they rested in her palm.

She felt him jump when she suddenly wrapped her hand around the base of his length and start stroking slowly, already feeling mildly guilty. She knew she had to stop, but a primal part of her mind was spurred on when she heard his moans of pleasure, urging her to continue.

Harry couldn't believe that Emma would do this for him. He wasn't sure what he was expected, but this wasn't it. It felt different than doing it himself; it felt wonderful. To his shock after he moaned for her not to stop, she moved herself around so that she was in front of him.

He was looking down at her, breathlessly, completely under her spell as she drew him towards her. Her tongue to snuck out between her lips and tenderly explored his cock head, tasting the tangy saltiness of his precum.

Emma could feel his balls tighten in her hand in response to her caresses, and continued to gently bathe his cock head with her tongue. After a bit, she slowly licked down his shaft until she reached the base and gently took one heavy ball, then the other in her mouth, sucking on them and tracing around them with her tongue.

She knew she should feel ashamed, but it had been such a long time since she and Dan had been passionate, and she couldn't stop herself. Despite Harry being so young, he appreciated what she doing - something she felt Dan didn't as of late. So she continued, allowing her primal needs take over as she began worshipping the boy's cock.

She sucked and licked Harry's balls for a minute before licking back up his shaft until she reached the head. Slowly enveloping the swollen glans in her mouth, she began sucking his cock in earnest, sliding her lips down the shaft and using her tongue to duel with the large pole of meat.

Harry couldn't believe how good it felt to have someone sucking his cock, and was wondering why the hell he didn't allow Charlotte or one of the other girls do this before. He put it down to being young, and not having the experience, but that was something that he was going to be reconsidering very soon.

Harry could do nothing other than throw his head back and moan as she worshipped his cock in earnest, her sensuous lips sliding up and down the shaft of his cock, her tongue snaking around the underside of his glans. He watched as her head bobbed back and forth, her movements slow and sensual, as if his cock was a lover she was passionately making out with. She withdrew her lips from his cock after a few minutes, allowing his excitement to subside while she caressed his turgid, shaft with her tongue, delicately teasing the beast for a few minutes before once again enveloping him in her warm, wet mouth.

This time he was ready for her. The part of him that wanted control had awoken, and he put his hand onto the head, eagerly thrusting his cock into her mouth. Emma was shocked by this action; she hadn't expected to lose control of the situation this badly, but here she was now, with Harry's hands on her head as he was thrusting his cock into her mouth as if there was no tomorrow. To her shame, it felt wonderful, almost like something Dan would do from time to time before his accident - taking control and using her mouth for his own needs.

Emma didn't know how long it lasted. Time seemed to slow down around her has Harry was fucking her mouth; she only had a second's warning as the young boy said he was going to cum. Knowing that he wasn't about to let her go, she had to swallow the cum until Harry was done.

Cum was running down the sides of her mouth as she failed to swallow fast enough. Harry pulled out and let go of her.

"H-Harry... I-I don't know what just happened, but it-it cannot happen again," Emma said, red in the face as she wiped the cum from her mouth. Part of her did want it to happen again, but she had to think about her family and how they would react should they find out about this. "This can't happen again, and no one can know what we did okay," she told him.

Harry was in a trance as he watched Emma wiping his cum from her mouth; her words fell on deaf ears.

"Just remember what I showed you at the start, and you'll be fine. But remember, whenever you get hard just go somewhere private and do this. Make sure not to grip yourself too hard or stroke yourself too fast, or you could hurt yourself," Emma tried to explain to Harry. She went on to say, "and remember, you should never start masturbating and then stop in the middle. If you do so, you'll get something most men call blue balls, which, while it's not dangerous, it's very painful. I'm going back out to the pool, you should finish up in your room before the others get home, okay?"

Thinking that he heard what she said, Emma began to leave. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression, but she had gone far above and beyond what she should have done. She could have sat him down and explained things from start to finish, but she talked herself into a corner. She reminded herself to talk to him again in the future and really explain things in a more linear fashion.

Harry was still in a state of bliss and lust; all he could think about was how good it felt. The handjob and the blowjob both felt wonderful. He wondered what full blown sex would feel like.

"_Why not find out," _Harry heard his sister whisper sexualy to him, _"stop her from going__. F__uck her."_

If Harry was thinking properly, he probably would have let Emma go, but he was in a state of pure lust. The only thing he was thinking about was sex. He had seen it happen many times at Abyss, as with some extra cash, he would allow people to have sex with one of the girls where everyone could see. Back then, though, he didn't think much of it. Now all he could imagine was that, but with him and Emma. The only thing that was stopping him was her size, as she was about five foot nine, and he was only just over five foot. She could easily get away from him should he try to do anything.

Lucy smirked. This was part of her plan to awaken her brother's true self. Sure, it wouldn't awaken his darker side much, but she wanted to show him that he could have anyone he wanted. It was a small start, but a start nevertheless. _"Harry, if that's your only concern, __transform__."_

Harry could have hit himself for forgetting about his abilities. He transformed into his older form.

Before Emma could leave, a strong hand turned her around, where she saw a different Harry Potter. She knew that this was Harry - the eyes and hair were unmistakable - but the body was differen. He was about six foot tall, with a body of an athlete. His muscled arms were scattered with scars from shoulder to knuckle and everywhere in between, and three long scars - likely from a claw of some sort - stretched from his right pec down to his waist. Numerous smaller scars littered his back and torso. A single scar stretching from his cheek, over his right eye, and to his forehead finished off the look. All in all, this Harry looked like a badass who could take whatever he wanted and not give a fuck how he did it. To top things off for Emma, this form had a bigger and thicker cock than Dan.

This form both thrilled and scared Emma, as none of her children knew that she was a closet submissive. She wanted nothing more than to submit to someone strong, someone who would force her to pleasure them without regard to her needs. Unfortunately, the perfect specimen standing in front of her was her daughter's eleven-year-old best friend. She knew she couldn't lose herself to him again, or this time it might be permanent.

"Harry, what are you doing? Please, we can't. You're Hermione's friend; think about her!"

"I don't care," Harry told her in a state of lust so powerful that he couldn't think straight. He blamed his sister and the fire within him, as well as his puberty. Those three things had driven him to this point, and he needed the lust to go. Emma was here, and she had started it all. It was only right that she finished it. Harry started to kiss her neck.

"I won't tell her if you don't; no one ever has to know. I've heard stories at Hogwarts about sex. Even if I didn't fully understand it, I've always wanted to try it. I used to fight it, but now…" he pulled her into a deep kiss, somehow able to keep up with the lie he was feeding her, "I can't fight my basic needs anymore."

Emma felt foolish not having thought that Harry would have heard about sex at Hogwarts; it was a boarding school, after all, and even at a normal school, people talked about sex. What she didn't understand, though, is what he meant by basic needs. As Harry pulled back from the kiss, she lustily asked, "basic needs?"

"I'm a Fire Mystic," Harry explained to her, as he stroked her hair, "and those who are able to control fire often have two main problems: their anger and their lust. Ever since I hit puberty, both have been playing up and I can't keep them under control for too long. I need this, so please enjoy this."

"_Put your fingers into her pussy," _Harry heard Lucy telling him as he was kissing Emma once again, one hand already teasing her nipples.

Despite Emma's shock at what was happening, she was enjoying it more than she ever enjoyed anything in her life. There was still a part of her that wanted to stop all this - to end the foolishness before it went too far - but she couldn't find the will to act. Her inner sub was quickly coming out, enjoying the fact that there was someone stronger and more powerful than Dan taking control of her. She felt a tide of pleasure rising as Harry started teasing her nipples. Emma shuddered as one of Harry's hands made a path down towards her pussy while he pulled away from the kiss and leaned down to take a nipple in his mouth.

Emma was of two minds about her current situation. One was the mother who was watching from a distance, feeling shocked and terrified by what was happening. The other was the sub, feeling wild elation at the pleasure Harry's attentions were giving her - pleasure Dan could no longer provide her no matter how much he tried.

The sub took over when Emma felt Harry's fingers slide into her pussy, his thumb pressed to her clit. She didn't know where he learned how to do this, but she couldn't stop herself from crying out in ecstasy. It never occurred to Emma to wonder how an eleven-year-old boy could arouse her so much with only his hands. A few seconds - or minutes or hours later, she couldn't tell in her current state - she felt Harry's hands moving from her breast and pussy, his mouth releasing her nipple as he moved to hold her firmly. Emma gasped as he swept her off her feet and lowered her to the carpet with her body still shaking from orgasmic bliss.

"Please, Harry, we mustn't!" Emma gasped out weakly, "the others could return at any time."

Emma felt so mixed up and so wildly excited. She knew that if she let Harry have her, she would give herself completely to him. If she wasn't careful, she might give herself fully to him to own - if it was his wish - to make herself his slave! She was torn between surrendering to him and her inner fear of what enslavement would mean. Harry didn't seem to have any confusion about what he wanted, as he came between her legs and pressed his cock against her pussy.

"HARRY!" Emma cried as she felt him surging into her, her body rising of its own accord to meet him.

Lucy whispered tips and words of encouragement inside Harry's mind as he was doing this. He wasn't sure how she knew what to do, but to hell with caring about how she learned it; it was helping him greatly.

If Emma had felt ecstatic before, she was overwhelmed now that Harry began pumping his cock into and out of her pussy with a deliciously slow, firm stroke sucking at one of her nipples teasing the other with one hand. All of Emma's thoughts were suddenly replaced by pure bursts from the delectable sensations.

Emma was begging for him to fill her, despite her the disgust she felt deep down inside at her reactions. All she could do was ride the roller coaster of ecstasy that Harry had her on. He was moving faster into and out of her, and she was matching him thrust for thrust. It was as though her body had taken total control as it sated its deepest desires on the large rod of flesh pumping into it. In a moment of clarity, Emma found that she had wrapped her arms and legs around his body, holding him to her as his cock slid in and out of her tight, burning pussy. Her mind quickly was overwhelmed by the sensations yet again.

Harry thrust into her roughly and groaned, his body trembling against hers. Emma felt a burst of heat deep inside her as spurt after thick spurt of his semen flowed into the deepest crevices of her vagina. Screaming out her passion as her body bucked and writhed under him, Emma let herself drown in the sheer bliss of the moment. When her peak faded, Emma could still feel Harry moving inside her, even as his cock began to shrink. At last, Harry rolled off her and she lay, panting and shaking, unable to control the tremors that ran through her body. Harry sat up and looked down at Emma. She met his gaze with glazed eyes.

"You're fantastic," Harry smiled down at Emma, his chest heaving from his exertions.

The whole situation was bizarre for Emma. Here she lay on the hut's thick carpet, feeling fully satisfied for the first time in her life, but it had been an eleven year old that had given her that satisfaction - not her husband. How giving the child The Talk lead to this, Emma neither knew nor cared at the moment.

She could feel their combined juices start to trickle from her pussy as she lay, gazing up at Harry. She was thankful that she was no longer able to have children. Deep down, she knew that what was happening was wrong, but she loved the feeling of being claimed by Harry and filled with his seed. What was worse was that if she didn't do something, she knew that she would surrender herself to him again. He had touched something within her that had long been forgotten - the sub that craved to be controlled by someone. Shame, guilt, and even fear coursed through her, but at the same time she felt fulfilled, desired, and contented. Right or wrong, she wanted more of the pleasure Harry gave her.

Harry's eyes roamed over her body again, this time with less hunger as sleep seemed to slowly be taking over. There was a smile of satisfaction on his lips, and a strange gleam in his eyes. He started touching her again, and Emma gasped as she felt his fingers squeeze one of her nipple. With a will of its own, her back arched, pressing her breast further into his hand as she gave a low moan of pleasure at his touch.

Emma's moan turned into a cry as the fingers of his other hand thrust into her pussy. She understood that the look in Harry's eyes was: power. He knew he had power over her, and Emma felt shameful of her own weakness. Despite the shame, she rose to an overwhelming orgasm under his expert touch, his fingers pushing into her with an almost cruel force that was driving her past coherent thought.

**( . Y . ) ( . Y . )**

"Th-Thank you, Emma... Th-that was wonderful." Harry whispered between gasps as he tried to regain his breath. His hands dropped from her body, much to her disappointment, as sleep started to take over. The last thing that he said before he fell asleep was, "We... we need to see if we can do this again."

Here was her chance. Harry was soundly asleep, and Emma knew that she could finally escape. If she was still there when Harry awoke, she knew she would end up giving everything to him without a second thought. She would be his forever, and she wouldn't want to stop it. There was a small part that didn't want to leave; her sub side wanted nothing more than to stay and have Harry take control of her. It was a fight, but it was the side of the mother and wife that won, and she left for her cabin so she could get cleaned up.

Emma was thankful that her cabin wasn't far; she didn't want to risk anyone seeing her leave. She knew that from today onwards, she could never be around Harry alone, or she would give herself to him without a second thought. She couldn't allow that; she had children and a husband - maybe if Harry was older, or if she was younger and unmarried, but that couldn't be changed. As things were, she had to make sure this could never happen again.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_31st of July - __La__ Grande Cosse, The Beach:_

It had been over two weeks since Harry fucked Emma like there was no tomorrow, and she had since made it a priority that she never be left alone with Harry. Harry couldn't help but to smirk at this. She would stay close to Dan or one of her children, talking to them about the most meaningless of topics. When they weren't around, she would stay in public areas, making sure that nothing happened between her and Harry. The one time he managed to get her alone, Emma made it clear that they could never repeat their activities again before making a quick escape.

Harry was surprised that he didn't feel guilty about his time with Emma - instead, he wanted to do it all again. Sure, she was the mother of Melody and Hermione, but she helped him with his lust. It didn't hurt that the sex itself was great; he wondered why he put it off for so long. Whatever the reason, sex seemed to improve his control over his lust, despite his sister's efforts. He now knew where he could go when he needed it, and he knew one girl who would be very happy because of it.

Said girl was already enjoying the benefits of Harry's new activities. Ever since his time with Emma, Harry's visits to The Abyss often involved Charlotte being forced to give Maverick a blowjob while others were around. Despite initially being disappointed that she wasn't Harry's first, she was glad that he had changed. The regular dominations and humiliations by Maverick had quickly become her favorite part of his visits.

Over the last two weeks, Lucy tossed around the idea that Harry should kill Dan. She figured that Harry should get rid of the obstacles keeping Emma from fucking him: her marriage to Dan. Lucy also said that age wasn't an issue; it was just something Emma used to try to keep them apart. If the woman really did have a problem with age, she wouldn't have allowed him to fuck her in the first place. With Dan dead, all Harry would have to do was find Emma and fuck some sense into her.

Harry was unsure about killing Dan. He was a good man, and didn't deserve to die, but Harry knew that if he wanted his way with Emma again, he would have to get rid of Daniel Granger, first. Ever since the day he fucked Emma, Harry's mind had been going to dark places that he had long forgotten about. He was honestly considering killing Dan simply so he could have his way with Emma. Those were plans for another time, though. For now, he was on holiday, and needed to relax and have fun the best he could.

One of fun things was training with Hermione and Melody. During their time in France, Hermione was shocked to find that there was no age restriction when it came to performing magic. She was soon performing magic casually, much to her parents amazement, and enjoyed the opportunity to practice and learn new magic. Hermione, with Harry's help, was able to show her parents what she had learned at Hogwarts - something she couldn't have done while back home. The two older children were taken off guard by how impressed the Grangers were at the simplest of spells, but admitted that they had grown so accustomed to basic magic that the novelty had worn off.

Harry had begun to teach Hermione and Melody how to meditate, as he found that it helped him greatly when working on his magic. The girls wanted nothing more than to start learning new things straight away, but from Harry's past experience, he knew that they wouldn't be able to do much with the time they had left. Hermione was disappointed that she couldn't learn a new power straight away like her friend and sister could, but when she heard how hard it was for them and how helpful Melody found meditating, she realized that it would be better to learn how to meditate first. To help them more - and to encourage them - Harry bought books on meditating.

Seeing that he already knew how to meditate, he decided to start on the Star Wars Force powers. If he was able to learn them, he could teach them to Melody and Hermione, and they would be able to pick it up faster by learning from him. He started on the four basic ones he read about: Telepathy, Force Stealth, Force Sense, and Force Jump. He planned to learn Mind Trick, as well, later on.

Being able to learn Telepathy would be useful, as the ability to hold discussions with each other without others hearing them could be invaluable, especially in combat. With Force Jump, Harry liked the idea of its applications in escape and mobility. Force Stealth was the most important skill, Harry believed, as it would allow them to hide from those who may wish them harm. The final ability he wanted to learn about today was Force Sense. It allowed you detect those around you, even if they were invisible. You would also be able to sense impending danger, and some people could use it to see the future.

The Mind Trick was also a useful skill to learn as they could use it to control people or make them forget things they shouldn't have seen. The ability was limitless, and the darker applications of it were incredibly enticing; Harry wanted to learn as much as he could.

There was still one skill above all others that they wanted to learn: The Shadow Clone Jutsu from the Naruto manga. While they had no idea where to even _begin _to replicate the technique, the usefulness of the skill was infinite; the ability to absorb the clone's knowledge and experience was invaluable.

Unfortunately, the Ninja Academy wasn't real, so they didn't know how to use hand signs, or access their chakra - if they had any - though they were sure magic could work in its place. They had nothing to go off of, so it was the first thing they attempted to learn. When they weren't having fun or practicing the skills they already had, the three spent hours visualizing a second body and trying to force their magic into the visualization.

It had only been a few weeks, and the girls were a little upset to find that their efforts amounted to little more than many hours spent meditating, but their minds felt much clearer because of it. Harry comforted them, saying that they shouldn't expect to learn and master a skill during this holiday, but with the three of them working together, they might manage to grasp the basics of one of the skills by summer's end.

Training with Aneira was going well, too; she was getting better in fights. The three teens would attack her to help her learn how to defend herself. Interestingly enough, Hermione would be one of the first to go down during the fights, but that was taking longer and longer to do. It would seem that fighting the ice tigran, was also helping Hermione. Her stamina and skill was increasing alongside Aneira's. Being taken down so easily appeared to have a motivating effect on Hermione. After a fight, she would hit the books in search of new spells. At nights, she would be found still studying and trying new spells while Harry and Melody enjoyed their comics - after Hermione made them do their homework, that is.

When the trio needed a break from training or playing on the beach, they would spend time with the adult Grangers. As Dan had commented, going to a foreign land and refusing to sightsee was a huge waste of potential fun, so that took up much of their time. They went on a drive, looking for areas of interest; there were no set areas they wanted to visit - Dan said it was fun just driving and seeing what they could find. They spent a weekend in Paris and visited _Rue de Lumière _again, where they got some new robes so it would be one less thing to do when they got back to England. After some debate, they also decided to pick up a reusable Portkey for _Rue de Lumière_. Dan was against the idea because he wanted to drive back and enjoy the experience, but he folded quickly due to being so outnumbered, and because it was just more convenient.

Harry had started forgoing his shorts since fucking Emma, which had caused both Granger daughters to blush a solid red when they saw him fully naked for the first time. Even Emma gave him a second (and third) glance, which Harry with a knowing smirk when the others weren't looking, much to Emma's embarrassment. It was strangely ego-boosting for the last Potter.

One of Harry's trips back to England involved a visit to Gringotts in Diagon Alley, where he sorted his mail issue. Now he could receive letters from Gringotts and correspondence from others. He also arranged for any incoming mail, aside from a few whitelisted contacts, to be redirected to the bank and stored in a small vault for him to visit at his leisure. A ward was set - up on the vault so that messages deemed important would be forwarded to him instead of being stored.

With the mail situation sorted, Harry received a mountain of letters that had previously been blocked. One was about the Mystic Comic being created about him. He had forgotten about it, but they were so close to completing the first edition and would be needing Harry's go-ahead before publishing. After looking through the comics, and writing down a few notes to the creators, Harry gave them leave to start selling the comics; it was slated to hit the shelves during the last week of summer.

August was a day away, and Harry found himself relaxing on a towel at the beach, catching some sun and hoping to get at least the start of a tan - damn his English skin. He glanced around, amazed at how empty the beach was. There were only a handful of people in sight, all women, either taking naps or relaxing with a book while they tanned. The closest person was about fifty yards away from him; the place was basically deserted.

Harry was there alone, having begged off to allow the Grangers some family time while having lunch at some restaurant nearby. He would never voice this, of course, because they would deny the need for it, and assure him he was more than welcome to join them. That was still how he felt though, so he was being a little sneaky about his desire to let them spend some time together. It was the rare occasion that he could completely let go and relax, so here he was with Aneira, doing that very thing.

To his growing frustration, his lust was building up again as he looked around at the naked women. There couldn't have been a worse time. He couldn't go back to England, as Charlotte and Blink were both out - Blink, on holiday and Charlotte, for a day off. It would seem that he would have to go back to his hut and relieve the lust himself.

Before he could get up to put his shorts on, a naked, six-year-old girl ran towards him while shouting out in French, "_Maman, Maman, c'est Harry Potter!_" (Mummy, Mummy, it's Harry Potter!)

Aneira hissed at the young flesh-bag that dared bother her and her master.

"_Gabrielle, reviens ici!_" (Gabrielle, get back here!) The woman called. Harry assumed she must be the girl's mother, which was confirmed when she turned to him and with a heavy French accent, "I am Apolline Delacour. Please forgive me, monsieur, my daughter zinks you are someone else."

"_Maman, c'est Harry Potter, le Garçon-Qui-A-Survécu…_" the girl, Gabrielle, insisted. (Mummy, it's Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived…)

Harry smirked minutely. Since school let out, Emma and Hermione had been teaching him French at a furious pace, enabling him to keep up with the mother and daughter with only a little difficulty. His tiny, self-satisfied smirk disappeared when he felt his cock rapidly swelling.

This was a problem. His eyes had barely glanced at the mother, meaning he was growing aroused from a six-year-old, his body desiring to do things to her that he did not understand, and he had no reasonable explanation as to why. If it was the mother, he would understand - she was an incredibly beautiful woman - but not the girl. _'What the fuck?' _Harry thought to himself, horrified at his body's actions, _'What is going on?' _

It was bad enough that his lust was building up again, but now he was getting aroused by a little girl, and not even his sister could understand what was going on. His Occlumency shields were barely keeping his lust under control and and preventing him from doing something foolish.

He tried to ignore the feeling he was getting and focus back on the pair, but couldn't manage to direct his attention back in time to hear and mentally translate what the girl said, but he did hear enough to know it was something about magic and likely breaking the Statute. If them knowing about the whole Boy-Who-Lived thing had not been an indicator, Gabrielle's comment would have. "_Gabrielle Delacour, se comportent-vous._" Apolline reprimanded the girl. (Gabrielle Delacour, behave yourself.)

"Don't worry about it," Harry said in English, as he picked up Aneira, stoking her to keep her calm. He wasn't feeling confident enough in his linguistic skills just yet to reply in their native tongue without fear of mangling it, not to mention that he was having enough trouble merely trying to speak in his native tongue while fighting the arousal he was feeling in greater and greater waves. He was already clearly failing to hide the evidence. "I am actually Harry Potter, but if you don't mind, please keep that information a secret. I'm on vacation with a friend and her family, and I don't want them to be bothered by people wanting to talk to me," Harry requested as he put his shorts on, playing it off like he only had them off to tan - a fairly common habit on the beach for those who wore clothes.

The woman saw through his actions and cut straight to the chase, "She's affecting you, isn't she?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Harry insisted awkwardly.

"Do not feel ashamed or guilty, Monsieur Potter," the mother said, shocking Harry, "She is a Veela and 'as not learned 'ow to control 'er powers fully. I was trying to keep 'er away from the public, but she ran off." She turned to her daughter and noticed the girl's expression, like she was concentrating on something with all her might. Following her gaze, it was plain to see the affect she was having on the Potter boy was getting worse. Apolline Delacour had to admit, the boy was holding up incredibly well. Gabrielle's allure was the strongest Apolline had seen or heard of in decades, and it looked like her daughter was focusing every bit of it solely on him. She was shocked the boy could still think; most other males would have either turned into metaphorical goo, or jumped Gabrielle by now, six-years-old or not.

Apolline had to wonder if he knew Occlumency, as that could only thing she could think of that could help him. Even then, they would have to be powerful shields for him not to act on his lustful desires. She was tempted to let this go on, if only so Gabrielle could see what happened when you pushed a male too far, and the young Potter certainly looked to be nearing the tipping point. She would have to settle for grounding her and giving her a stern talking-to when they got home; she didn't want create problems for her or her daughter, should Harry report it to someone at the French Ministry of Magic.

"Gabrielle, you will stop zis instant!" Apolline snapped, using a tone only mothers could. "Zat was a very mean zing to do to Monsieur Potter. Apologize zis instant, and you can bet you'll be getting a spanking for zis when we get 'ome!"

Harry shifted uncomfortably as his hard-on twitched at the mental image that assaulted his brain, something Apolline noticed. She realized she probably should have left the punishment unsaid while he was still being hit full force by Gabrielle's allure.

"I can see you wish to leave, Monsieur Potter, and we must do ze same. Despite my daughter's rude behaviour, it was nice meeting you. You should try to find a book on Veela when you get back to 'Ogwarts; it will explain what 'appened to you. I bid you good day."

Harry nodded, not trusting his voice, and all but sprinted back to the cabin as soon as the elder Delacour frog-marched her daughter back towards wherever their beach gear was set up, Gabrielle complaining all the way about being so close. Harry almost slapped himself in the face when he realized his eyes were glued to Gabrielle's rear as she was dragged away. He really needed to get back to the cabin…

_**o0OoO0o**_

_La__ Grande Cosse, Harry's Hut:_

It was a short walk to get back to the cabin, and he noticed that the Grangers were back from their lunch and were heading towards the beach. When they spotted him, Dan took the initiative and asked, "you alright, Harry? You seem a bit dazed."

"I'm fine. Just spent a little too long in the sun, I think. I think I'll stay inside for a bit," Harry explained to them. It was by no means a complete lie, but at the same time, nothing close to the full truth either.

"Good lad, if your body tells you something you shouldn't ignore it. You could seriously injure yourself if you don't." Dan answered sagely, "We'll be down at the beach if you need us."

After a few seconds of "I hope you're feeling better soon" from the female Grangers, they continued their walk.

Waiting for a few minutes to make sure nobody returned for forgotten items, Harry let Aneira outside before quickly scampering to his room and securely closing the door behind him. Stationing himself on the bed, he ripped his shorts down and immediately took his still-hard prick in hand. Despite Emma's warnings, he could not stop his hand from pumping as fast as he could make it, images of Hermione, Melody, Emma, Apolline, Lucy, and (most embarrassing of all) little Gabrielle flitted through his head as he rapidly approached his first orgasm.

Roughly forty-five minutes later, Harry fell back onto his bed, breathing heavily. Five times! Whatever Gabrielle had done had forced him to masturbate five times just to get back to a point where he could focus again.

Harry decided to get his mind off the little blond girl and whatever a Veela was, so he fell back to his stand-by project - improving his pyrokinetic abilities. Since it was a non-magical beach, he still had to follow the restrictions set in place by the Statute: as long as he and the girls weren't seen, there were no problems.

Before he could try to think of an area to train in that was both nonflammable (ruling out the hut) and away from Muggles (ruling out a good 95% of the area,) he heard someone come in. He turned towards his door, only for it to swing open.

"Hi, Mel." Harry greeted his apprentice, a bit uncomfortable. While he was partially accustomed to being naked around the Grangers, his libido was still through the roof thanks to whatever that little blond girl did to him. The girl before him was cute - cute enough to fuck, he admitted - but he wanted to wait until he took Emma before going after her daughters. He used this reasoning in an attempt to ignore his attraction to her. "So what are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't be back for a while."

"I came to see if you're alright. I - I mean we - were worried. You seemed really distracted earlier. Is everything okay?" Melody asked, concerned about the wellbeing of her friend.

"I'm fine. Just… restless," Harry explained to his friend and apprentice, "so I thought I would find somewhere to train."

"Can I come with you, Master?" Melody requested as she slipped into her Apprentice persona. "Being around so much water makes me feel antsy. A good venting sounds perfect."

Before Harry could respond, his lower bits decided for him. The second Melody called him 'Master,' his cock sprang up, twitching needily as if he had neglected masturbating for weeks, when it was less than half an hour ago when he last did so. Melody saw his reaction and blushed, surprised she affected him so much.

"I'll, uh, be right back," Harry muttered awkwardly as he turned, prepared to march into his bathroom and jerk himself off yet again.

"Can I help with that, Master?" Melody blurted mindlessly, cutting off his retreat. Her eyes shot open, and her hands clamped themselves over her mouth as her face transitioned to a burning scarlet. _'DID I JUST SAY THAT OUT LOUD?!'_ She screamed in her head.

Harry was shocked at the offer, but his cock grew even harder at the thought. Forgetting his plan to take Emma first, he asked, "Do you know how to?"

Harry was hoping that she could. If he couldn't have the female Granger he wanted, he might as well go for one of her daughter's - one who was willing and could be considered eager.

"Y-Yes," Melody squeaked out, "My mother explained it to us when we asked about different kinds of sexual acts." Harry looked surprised Emma would go into such detail, but remembered his own Talk being pretty hands-on, "My parents don't like the idea of us knowing these things at such a young age, but they believe that being forewarned is forearmed. We've always been very curious girls though, so I don't think we gave them a choice about it, either…" she admitted.

Harry was suddenly very grateful the Grangers were such intelligent people. Melody knowing what to do - and being fully willing to help - was exactly what he needed. It was pretty obvious that taking matters into his own hands was largely pointless, considering how ineffective it was. "If you know what you're doing, I won't stop you from helping me."

**( . Y . ) ( . Y . )**

Harry slid the heel of his hand down her torso and took a nipple between his finger and thumb. He wanted to make sure she really wanted this, and Mel's response to his actions confirmed it. She gasped and squirmed closer to him as he gently rolled the little nub between his fingers.

"Oh, that feels good," she moaned before pulling away from her Master and allowed her left hand roam up his thigh. It didn't take long for her to reach her goal.

"Wow Master, you're almost the same size as Daddy, and you're not even an adult yet," she said in awe, smirking when she saw his cock twitch at her calling him Master. She immediately wrapped her hands around it, and began to slowly stroke. Harry slid his hand back to her breasts as she was doing this. She was positively radiating with the heat of her excitement. Melody was working Harry's cock with teasingly slow motions, stroking its entire length with her small, smooth hand. She felt it jump in her hand a few times, and looked up to see Harry wearing a pleased grin.

"Ahh, that feels wonderful," he moaned.

"I'm just warming up, my master," Melody mewled lustily as she continued to stroke his cock.

After a few moments, she saw what she believed to be pre-cum. It started to leak from the slit and gently flow down his shaft; she put her head near his cock and began to lick it, wanting to experience the taste. It was a bit salty, the unique flavour a new experience to her, but she liked it. When all the pre-cum had been licked clean she decided to continue licking his cock as she mused about the differences between practice and application. The real thing was almost nothing like doing it on a banana; it was much better. Before long, she thought to try another new experience and dipped her head down, taking several inches of his cock into her mouth and began to bob her head up and down on his shaft.

It wasn't long before Harry knew it was time for him to take control. If he didn't, she would soon have a gooey white mess covering that beautiful face, and Harry had other other plans for how he finished. If she was willing to go this far for him without his guidance, Harry wondered how far he could get her to go with a bit of direction. He slid his hand from her breast and guided her into his lap with her straddling his legs.

Harry didn't waste much time before taking one of her hard nipples into his mouth. She arched her back and grabbed the back of his head, urging him further into her chest. For someone who was so young, she had volumes of lust in her. He wondered if she, too, had hit puberty and if her hormones were playing with her, as well.

Seeing that she wasn't at all bothered by his actions, Harry took turns sucking her hard nipples for a while before sliding his hands down her smooth back. As he got to the bottom, he slid his hands under her to cup the cheeks of her firm ass. She lifted a bit to provide her master better access. Harry took the opportunity to lift her completely and lay her on her back. He knelt between Melody's legs, his cock pointing eagerly toward her pink slit. '_Soon, my friend,' _he smirked to himself, _'We have things to attend to first_.'

Harry kissed her lips, and she returned it with vigour. After a few seconds, he broke the kiss and started trailing kisses lightly down her body, teasing her along the way. He started with her neck, trailing down her left side until he reached her breasts. Harry began covering her left breast with kisses, making sure to completely avoid her nipple. Melody was thrusting her chest up towards him with each touch, silently begging for more stimulation. Harry ignored her, giving the same treatment to her other breast before trailing more kisses down her stomach, stopping just above her clit. She eagerly spread her legs wide, inviting any stimulation her master would bestow her.

Harry surrounded her slit with kisses before slowly starting to tease her tiny clit. He was immediately rewarded with a moan, and he could feel her juices starting to trickle out of her hot, pink pussy. Harry lowered his head to her opening and swirled his tongue around to get a taste of her nectar before returning to her clit. Her moans became more wanton as she arched into her mouth. Harry would occasionally swirl his tongue back through her juicy slit, occasionally going as far as her ass, before working his way back to her clit. She was slowly coiling up release to what Harry hoped would be a fantastic climax.

He wasn't disappointed. Melody groaned loudly as her thighs clamped around his head, her body desperate to maintain the stimulation her Master's tongue was granting her over-sensitive clit. Harry held his tongue to her tiny button as best as he could, eager to drive her higher. She continued spasming for nearly a minute before going limp as the orgasm finally faded away.

She looked up at her Master through half-lidded eyes. Her legs were pried back open, and Harry was kneeling between them, his cock now stroking over the mound of her pussy, making it's need known. She flashed him a small smile and reached down to grab it, relishing in its feel once again as she positioned it at her opening. She scooted towards him just enough to get the tip lodged against her opening before she hooked her heels behind his ass and tried to pull him towards her. Harry slowly allowed himself to slide into her silky depths, and she let out a long, low sigh as he filled her young channel. Harry didn't have long to work before filling her lovely channel with the hot cum that nearly decorated her face earlier.

Melody had been relishing the feel of him slowly working in and out when she felt her master push deep inside of her before tensing up. She put a hand to either side of his head and looked him in the eyes as he came deep inside her. As Harry relaxed, she pulled him against her with another sexy sigh.

**( . Y . ) ( . Y . )**

The two of them lay together for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of their breathing. Harry felt relieved and content, more so than after masturbating; he knew now that masturbation wasn't for him, but until now, that was all he had to help. Now that he had Melody, things were going to get interesting. He might not have gotten the mother, but he did get one of the daughters. He needed to set some rules, though. It may have been a pretty big turn on to have Melody call him "Master," but he didn't want her to call him that all the time, especially when others could hear her. He promised himself he would talk with her about it later.

As the two were laying there together, Melody said, "That was wonderful, Master. It was a great first time; I'd love to do more… show you what I learned from mum. I know a lot, and I'd love to show you what I can do."

There was a lustful look in Melody's eyes as she ran her hand down her body, paying special attention to her pussy as she passed over it.

Harry just had to smile, he didn't think that Emma was able to teach her daughter any more than what just been demonstrated, but that didn't mean he wasn't willing to find out. It was at this point that Lucy appeared in his head and sighed in disappointment at not getting to see her brother fuck the younger Granger - she would have to watch the memories later. Knowing that the rest of the Grangers could return at any moment, Harry sighed and said, "Not right now, Melody. We don't know when your sister and parents will be back. What do you think they'd do if they saw us?"

As much as she hated to admit it, her master was right. Her family would… well she didn't know how they would react, but it would most likely be poorly. With a sigh she said, "I understand, Master. What do you want to do?"

"Well, we should clean up. Maybe after, we could find somewhere to train," Harry decided with an eager smile.

"Sure, Master," Melody agreed as she got up. Both of them went to the bathroom to clean up, and emerged not ten minutes later in search of somewhere to train.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_20th of August - La Grande Cosse, the Beach:_

It had been three weeks since Harry fucked Melody, and things couldn't have been better. Their friendship had changed, but that honestly wasn't very surprising after what transpired between them that day.

Harry had talked to Melody in the time since, confronting her about calling him 'Master.' He told her that he was okay with her doing so, but she wasn't allowed to do it around those who didn't know, and especially not in public. When around Hermione, she had to make sure that she wasn't making it sound sexual when she called him 'Master,' or Hermione would ask questions that neither of them wanted to answer.

Harry quickly learned that Melody was somewhat of a nymphomaniac; every training session usually ended with two of them wrapped around each other once Hermione was gone. Melody would usually pounce on him and inhale his cock while Harry was steadily improving his cunninglingus to return the favor.

It had extended outside of their training sessions, too. Melody, like her sister, was an incredibly early riser. More often than not, Harry would wake up to Melody suckling on him. He told her that just shaking his shoulder to wake him was fine, but she insisted her way was better. Harry really couldn't argue, as her method of waking him felt fantastic. His only concern was that they would get caught, but all thoughts of consequences were forgotten each time Melody woke him up. He wasn't going to give this up unless he absolutely had to.

Lucy also seemed rather happy that he was fucking Melody, but pointed out that he shouldn't settle for just one girl; he should find others to fuck, too. Harry wasn't against the idea, but he had to be careful about who he fucked. He didn't want to fuck someone and have the decision come back to bite him in the ass later on.

Apart for the new sexual aspects of his life, not much changed. Harry, Melody and Hermione had finally gained some ground on their Telepathy; they were able to send the odd word to each other through their mind, but but only while in the same room as each other. It wasn't much, but it was a start. They had also had some small success on the Force Jump, adding a few more feet to their normal jump.

Harry was working on his own to master Force Stealth before summer's end, but couldn't make much headway unless he could find someone who could sense magic. Otherwise, it would be nearly impossible to know if he was making any progress.

Other than the training with the Granger girls, Harry was still regularly returning to England for his sword training with Syrio Forel, and to keep an eye on The Abyss. It would seem that a group of people wanted to rent an auction house to sell some things. The request itself wasn't abnormal, but the items being sold were different than normal. Patrons often rented auction houses within The Abyss to sell dark or illegal items, but this was the first ever request to use his establishment as a place to sell slaves. Harry was interested in seeing how it played out, and what sort of people were being sold, so he scheduled it for the day after he got back to England.

There were still a few days before he and the Grangers would be returning back to England, and Harry couldn't wait. He already had a list of things to do as soon as they returned, including seeing how the new auction would go, and going to visit Ember. He got a few letters from her after clearing up his mail situation. She had a few problems with Ron at the start, but things had gotten better, and now she was friends with the only Weasley daughter, Ginny. Ember warned him that her new friend was a Boy-Who-Lived fangirl, but Harry already knew this thanks to the Weasley twins.

Harry was currently spending his time lying in an unused, refurbished light-house, but his musings ground to a halt as he felt a bout of arousal slam into him like a tidal wave. His cock was instantly standing straight, pulsing with blood; his breath came in short, hot pants as he looked around wildly. It was the little French girl again - it had to be. The feeling was exactly the same as before, but even more intense.

He quickly spotted the silvery-blonde hair of Gabrielle Delacour. She made no attempt to hide, boldly standing right in the middle of the beach, right outside of a small locker room building. She flashed him a mischievous smile and ducked inside the structure, her long hair flaring out as she turned on her heel, acting like a red flag to Harry's bull.

Not even his Occlumency was working as his mind fogged over; his hormones demanded he take action. Harry drunkenly climbed to his feet and stumbled after the girl, his shorts left behind without a thought, his erection pointing the way. If the beach had been anything more than deserted, he would likely get in trouble for this, but Harry was long past being able to care.

It took a few strides before he got to his prize: an incredibly eager Gabrielle Delacour, her arms open and legs spread, putting her tiny pussy on full display. As soon as Harry got near her, she jumped right into him, whispering into his ear to take her to his tower and to ravage her. With the state he was in at the moment, he was quick to agree; they went back to his tower and secured the doors behind them.

Outside the tower, Apolline Delacour sighed as she followed the tracking charms placed on her daughter. She cursed herself for not thinking things through; she knew it was a bad idea to give her daughter the Veela version of The Talk while Harry was still in the area; she should have waited until they left.

The girl had gotten it into her head that she would give herself to her storybook hero and they would be together forever. Appoline partially agreed with the plan, at least in theory. Gabrielle was a Veela, and if she felt that strongly for Harry, it was probably meant to be. In addition, the boy had already shown signs of heavy resistance to the Allure, which could one day evolve into full immunity. But the plan was doomed to fail.

Harry seemed to have the usual human hang-ups about sex, albeit not as badly as most. From her observations of his expression and demeanour in their first meeting, he was confused and embarrassed, but mortification had been an incredibly distant third. Gabrielle knew this because Apolline had tried to talk the girl out of it, advising her to wait a few years before searching him out again, since the only way to get over these hangups at the moment was to throw so much of her Allure at him that he would be unable to think straight for long enough to notice that what he was doing was 'immoral.' The level of power needed to overcome Harry's high resistance was too much for even Gabrielle to create, and Apolline made sure that much was known to her daughter.

The woman really should have known better. Fleur would have been much easier to dissuade from such a foolish idea. Apolline wished Gabrielle would be a bit more like her older sister, because the next thing she knew, her incredibly daughter was marching towards the beach with determination pouring off of her with each step. She had been lucky that her daughter had been unable to find Harry Potter on the beach over the past few weeks, but her luck finally ran out.

One stealthy x-ray charm later, and Apolline could see exactly what was happening inside. She wasn't sure how she felt about what she saw. On one hand, her daughter had actually managed it, and rightfully deserved her prize. On the other hand, the chances were that Harry, a twelve-year-old boy, wouldn't see this as anything more than easy pleasure with no strings attached - meaning heartache for Gabrielle. He was, after all, a young boy who most likely just hit puberty and started to masturbate, so this could just be some fun for the boy. It wasn't like anything could go wrong - how could it?

She sighed and decided to let things play out. Appoline tossed up a muggle-repelling ward and a powerful Notice-Me-Not spell on the building, as well as a sound-proofing charm to make sure no sound escaped. Satisfied that nothing would interrupt the two kids, she conjured a beach towel and laid down; no sense in letting this opportunity go to waste.

**( . v . ) ( . v . )**

Back inside, Gabrielle was encountering problems with her 'fool-proof' plan; the height difference was making things complicated. Harry was taller than Gabrielle by a good deal. The young girl cursed her petite figure; she had always been small. Because of this, her pussy wasn't the closest orifice to his cock - her mouth was. Needless to say, Gabrielle quickly began to wish that she was taller.

Gabrielle wanted to be fucked like a real woman, but Harry had other ideas. All he wanted right now was pleasure and release, with very little regard for where it came from or if it hurt his partner. With his goal in mind, he grabbed the young girl's hair, pulled her back, and lined her mouth up to his cock.

Gabrielle's feelings were mixed as she felt Harry mindlessly grind his length against her cheek, moaning at the silky smooth skin before he pulled back and pushed the head against her lips insistently. Part of her wanted to feel the head of his penis pushing at her labia, but instead she found said penis at her mouth, urging for entrance into the warm, moist orifice. She wished to change this, but Harry was several years older, a good deal physically stronger than her, and the only weapon she had in this situation was the exact reason he was so aroused. She could, of course, kick or strike him in some fashion, but she would never do that to her crush.

The young girl was denied any choice in the matter; as soon as her lips started to part - most likely to speak, or lick his shaft - he shoved himself inside her mouth in an instant. He made sure not to make the impulsive girl gag - knowing where that spot was from accidents with Melody - but his grip on her head and his fingers entangled in her hair were a pretty good indicator that his cock would not be going anywhere any time soon as Harry started to fuck Gabrielle's mouth.

Despite the situation being what most would consider unfavourable, Gabrielle did not offer any resistance. In fact, she did the opposite, shifting until she was in a better position for him to thrust into her mouth as she worked her tongue and lips, trying to bring Harry as much pleasure as possible.

With the state Harry was in, he quickly reached release. Soon enough, with a half-feral grunt, he came. He roughly shoved his cock into Gabrielle's throat as his cock thickened slightly before a flood of semen started pouring directly into the little blonde's stomach. A distant part of him was ecstatic at how great the blonde's mouth felt. She may have been young, but she seemed to be even better at sucking cock than Melody.

In truth the, little Veela was just following her instincts, putting her entire focus on making him feel good. It paid off, too, as Gabrielle moaned erotically, a sound no six-year-old should have any business making, made even more erotic as she Harry's manhood muffled the sound. She felt her body tingle as the magic within his seed start to course through her. A human girl would have been choking and gagging, but she was a Veela and could control her gag reflex. She still needed air, obviously, but that was a simple matter to suppress her body's desire to pull herself away from him until he was done.

Gabrielle did eventually pull back once Harry's orgasm had ended, her belly nice and warm. She took greedy, solid gulps of air for the first time in several minutes. She tried to reposition herself so she could finally give herself fully to her hero, but Harry only saw her wonderful mouth moving somewhere that was not right back onto his cock and reacted. She let out a yelp as the older boy tugged her hair once again, pulling her head back down onto his cock as he slipped back into her mouth, continuing his selfish pace like nothing happened.

Gabrielle pouted up at him, but continued to please him to the best of her abilities. Her mother had told her that getting her hopes up was simply preparing for disappointment, and that men tended to go limp after one orgasm, but Gabrielle had insisted her hero would be virile enough to keep going no matter what she did. Just went to show how much of a genius she was! She would have laughed triumphantly, but her throat was already in use.

The little Veela settled in for a wait; Harry would grow tired of her throat and want more, soon enough. She just needed to be patient.

**( . v . ) ( . v . )**

Apolline raised an immaculate eyebrow as she lifted her head up and looked at the old lighthouse. She had been sunbathing for almost an hour now, and neither of the two had left yet. Frankly, she was wondering if the last Potter had finished and passed out from the strength of it, with Gabrielle deciding to stay with him to take credit for it in person when he was himself. She knew that any normal mother would have rushed in possibly beaten Harry bloody, but she was a Veela and the mother of a Veela, so her way of doing things was different from a human's. Veela were a sexual race, ready for sex at an incredibly young age - typically around six or seven years old. Most dreaded when the Allure would kick in, since it was such a huge change, and it came with many dangers. Orphaned Veela had little hope for being used as anything more than toys once this kicked in, unlike those who had families to protect them. Even Veela adopted by humans were at risk, as even the most protective father could end up forcing himself on his adopted daughter if she had a strong enough allure, or if he was easily susceptible to it.

She was growing a bit worried, was preparing to cast another x-ray charm when an exhausted Harry Potter came out of the tower. His flaccid penis was visibly shiny as he hurriedly made his way over to his belongings and threw his shorts back on before retreating back to - what Apolline assumed was - his cabin. He shot her a dangerous look as he made his retreat - a warning not to be there when he returned, or there would be hell to pay.

Fearing the worst, she banished her own supplies, the mother of two made her way towards the tower he exited. She knew that he was right to be angry with her and her daughter, although he was only a boy, he exuded power. If his ability to resist the allure was any indication, she had to wonder what else he was capable of. She didn't want to learn quite yet, so she corralled her daughter prepared to leave the beach. Appoline was almost amused at the state of her daughter, despite the not-so-obvious threat from Harry. The child was stumbling as she walked, and her belly was visibly bloated; her lower face and chest were covered in a combination of cum and saliva.

"_So full…" _the girl moaned.

"_So it went well then?"_ Apolline asked her daughter with a raised eyebrow, not wanting to worry her about her crush.

Gabrielle's cloudy eyes focused slightly as she pouted. _"He was so forceful, maman. He wouldn't let me get into position! He kept taking my mouth over and over! It's not fair!"_ she exclaimed in minor frustration, failing to convince anyone that she was angry as she rubbed her belly affectionately.

Apolline laughed at her daughter's plight. She had to give her offspring credit, her plan had nearly worked, but the amount of arousal needed to overcome his resistance resulted in him manhandling her before she could get control of things.

_"Learn from this, my little angel. Not everything you want will go to plan. I'm sure your next plan will be successful… unless you're going to give up?" _she challenged with a small smile. Gabrielle puffed out her dirty chest, trying to make herself look bigger than she was.

_"Never! I will keep trying again and again until we're together forever!"_ she declared firmly, meaning every word.

Apolline was glad her daughter's words did not trigger a magical vow; instead, it was simply a show of her resolve. Still, there was no telling if the two would meet again, so it was possible the promise Gabrielle made to herself was harmless. She hoped that her daughter would forget about all this, but she knew how incredibly unlikely that was.

_'Well, at least Sebastian will have plenty of time to prepare his 'scary father' routine now that he knows who he's going to be using it on,'_ she thought to herself, amused. She knew that her daughter was far too proactive to fail; the girl wouldn't stop until she was with Harry, one way or another.

Rolling her eyes as her daughter giggled like a typical girl her age and started massaging the mess into her chest and face, Apolline used a cleaning charm to remove the evidence of her recent activities.

Gabrielle pouted mightily, her favorite toy having been taken away from her - she was still enjoying it!

"_Come along, Gabrielle, you've had your fun. I'm sure you can ambush Monsieur Potter at a later date, but we need to get back to the manor,"_ she said as she grabbed her daughter's hand and lead the unresisting girl away. She sighed as Gabrielle began chattering at a lightning fast speed, planning her next romantic meeting with her crush.

_**o0OoO0o**_

Only when Harry had returned to his hut and slumped onto his bed did he finally relax and allow himself to calm down enough to think. What happened was not illegal, in the strictest sense, at least. Now that he was thinking clearly, he could very plainly see Gabrielle had planned what happened to him, at least partially. He had no idea why this was. He could understand it if she was old enough for him to consider a 'Boy-Who-Lived' fangirl, but what sort of _six-year-old_ \- no matter their race - decided to throw themselves at someone like that?

He really needed to get back to Hogwarts and its incredibly useful library, or hopefully get a book from _Rue de Lumière _that could tell him more about Veela.

Potential guilt and mental blue-screen averted, Harry made the decision to just avoid Gabrielle in the future. He wanted no part of whatever it was Gabrielle did to him; he disliked not being in control of himself. There was also the possibility that he could accidentally force himself on Hermione, Mel, or Emma while in such a state, and not care until it was over and done with. There was no way he could tell anyone; he knew he would end up taking the blame for the whole thing, anyway.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the third part of The Serpent's Lair Saga, I would like to thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it and spend a few moments to review. I hope you read all of this note, as I would like your feedback on some of these, to help me out in the story. Now should there be those who didn't take my warning at the start of the story and stopped reading and now hate it, please do not moan like a little bitch. I did warn you at the start what was going to happen, and if you kept on read after knowing this, you're the only one to blame for not enjoying the story.

I know that some of you might not like the idea of Harry having sex with Emma, but the idea seems sound in my option. Harry is a Fire Mystic, and from what I have read fire elementals have problems with their anger and their lust, so I thought I would use those two feelings to make Harry darker. In this case, Harry wants Emma and Dan is in his way, and so Harry is going to kill of one of the things getting in his way getting Emma. And with being Lucy back sooner, Harry's true darker side, it'll only matter of time before Harry becomes dark/evil. Something you all wanted. If this way isn't what you like, I would like you to give me the ideas on how.

Before I start and write the next chapter, I'm going to take a week or so off writing this story so I can get the reviews in, but I would like you help, would you mind if I have both Ginny and Ember opening the Chamber. The idea that me and one of my Beta Reader's had was that as a bonding activity, the two new friends write in the diary and over time both are taken control of, and Tom makes them do things for him. What do you think?

The next chapter should be the last summer chapter before we start the second year, so I would like to ask what you would like to happen during the second year. A lot of new things have been added, so would like your thoughts about what I should do in the year.

After reading your reviews, I would like to inform you all that I'll be keeping the basilisk alive.

I would like to ask for help for the second year, I would like ideas for pranks that Harry and the twins could pull over the year. I hope you can help with coming up with ideas, I'm wanting a few magical and non-magical ones. I hope you can help as I would like some to pull over the year.

I'm still after ideas of how Harry could turn his friends Dark and joining him, instead of using Confundus Charm. while I have set up a few things already, I would like ideas for the others, so any and all ideas are welcomed.

_**Next on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ In the next chapter we'll see Harry deciding on Daniel Granger's fate, and we'll see him meeting the Weasleys and catching up with Ember. This'll be the last chapter for the summer, before getting starting the second year. So let me know what you would like to see happen with Ember during the summer. You got one week before I start writing again.


	23. Chapter 20 - The Serpent's Lair: Part 4

_**Author's Note:**_ I know that many of you didn't like the idea of me killing of Dan, but I am hoping that the start of this chapter will explain to you why I am thinking of killing Dan. I hope I wrote this right

**( . Y . ) = Smut/Lemon.**

_**Chapter Twenty...**_

_**The Serpent's Lair - Part 4!**_

_**(Meeting the Weasleys!)**_

_(Harry Potter) 23rd of August - The Abyss, Auction House Three:_

The vacation had finished, and Harry decided to return to England the fast way - with his abilities - to have a few extra days with his friends. He would meet back up with the Grangers once they returned, but for now he was enjoying his time as Maverick. A small sigh escaped his lips as he realized, thankfully, that he didn't have to worry about running into Gabrielle again; despite his commitment to going dark, the idea of fucking a six-year-old girl didn't sit right with him. He was, however, still strongly considering killing Dan, though the conflicting sides still raged in his head. He liked the man and didn't want to kill him, but he embodied the only obstacle between Harry and Emma. While it would be easiest to eliminate the obstacle and be done with it, it would be much more satisfying to work around it.

His musing was disrupted as Charlotte employed a particularly enjoyable trick while giving him a blowjob, and he took the next few moments to glance around the large room. The auction had been normal so far, mostly selling hard-to-get items and a few dark objects. The newest part - the slaves - wouldn't come until later on. Deciding to wait, Maverick allowed this thoughts regain control of his attention.

"_It's not about__ the satisfaction of__ getting Emma__; it's__ about the __thrill of the __kill," _his sister suddenly spoke.

"_What do you mean, Lucy?" _Harry thought back to his sister, letting out a small moan as Charlotte continued her ministrations.

"_This is to see if you can kill an innocent man or not," _Lucy explained.

"_Why can't I kill some stranger?"_ Harry pondered, _"Why does it have to be Dan?"_

"_It's best__ if you kill Dan, instead. __You know him; you know his family and his personality. You _know_ he's innocent.__"_

"_But why not someone else? Why couldn't I get to know someone else and have them be my first kill?__"_

"_Because he's close to you; if you're able to kill him, you should be able to kill anyone," _Lucy told her brother. He shuddered as he came inside Charlotte's mouth and she proceeded to clean his cock. _"If you're having problems killing Dan now, what would you be like if you have to kill someone else close to you in the future for whatever reason? By killing Dan, you prove to yourself that you can kill anyone close to you if need be. __Otherwise, who knows what might happen?__"_

As much as he didn't want to admit it, his sister was right. Things could get bad in the future if he needed to kill someone close to him and hesitated to do it. This would be a challenge to see if he could kill someone he knew,. It would be too easy to kill a stranger. As he thought about it, he also realized that it might take more time than he was willing to waste getting Emma from Dan; Emma wouldn't abandon her husband for a child. It would take years - if ever - to change Emma's mind, so his best option - as reluctant as he was to commit to the idea - was to kill Dan.

"_Listen, I know what I __need __to do, Lucy, but I need time to think. Like it or not, Dan is the father to two of my friends and if I do this, I need to make sure I don't get caught," _Harry told his sister, _"If they __discover who__ killed their father before I turn them, they could turn on me, and I wouldn't know what to do."_

"_I understand, brother," _and she did. Lucy knew - better than Harry - the risks that came with killing Dan, but she also knew the rewards just as well. If her brother needed time to think, she would give him that, but she would leave him with one last thought, _"But know this, brother: the longer you wait to decide what to do, the harder it'll be to take any sort of action__, s__o don't wait for too long."_

Before Maverick could think or say anything, he felt Lucy's presence fade, and decided to think more on the topic later. He had a club to run, and by the looks of it, the normal part of the auction was finishing up. "You were great, my love," Maverick told Charlotte as he started to play with her breasts.

"Thank you, Master. I'm glad you allowed this to happen," Charlotte told her master, "You do know that the other girls want this, too, right? And more - just like I do."

"I do, my dear. And maybe later, as long as people don't need us. We could depart for an hour and I could give you what you want," Maverick told his first friend.

"You really mean it, Master?" Charlotte asked in disbelief.

"As long as we're not needed, yes," he told her. Maverick heard the auctioneer announce the part he had been waiting for.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, a new event for tonight. For the first time ever auctioned off in The Abyss: slaves! That's right - slaves. Male or female, whatever your tastes may be, we've got something for you tonight. So let's start off with a young Veela -" Maverick tuned out as the auctioneer gave a brief description of the Veela's sexual nature and the dangers that could arise from their powers; he was well aware of the effects of a Veela's allure. His mind latched onto the mention of their ability to transform, though. He would have to make a note to research that when he had a chance.

The Veela being sold went by the name of Carson. She was fifteen years old and rather cute. The bidding for her started at two thousand Galleons.; she sold for over five times that. She was the only Veela sold, but some of the other slaves were just as exotic. What shocked Maverick was the women that were sold. They appeared to have been altered - somehow - to look like they had been cross-bred with animals. Some were only slightly changed, having only a tail or a pair of wolf-ears atop their heads. Others were a bit more drastic, almost appearing to be half-wolf or half-cat; there was even one man who must have been part-reptile. He looked tough and powerful, and was covered in scaled; he sold for twenty thousand Galleons.

Maverick knew that the law enforcement would be going mad trying to find out who did the experiments on these people once they learned of it. They would also be looking for the people who supplied the slaves. He was glad that he would soon be going on a world tour for training as Maverick. With people thinking that he had been doing for the last year or so, it would be difficult to tie him to any of the crimes.

With the auction over, he and Charlotte decided to take things to his office.

**( . Y . ) ( . Y . )**

As Maverick and Charlotte entered the office, Maverick was about to turn back into Harry when Charlotte jumped into his arms and kissed him fearlessly; a kiss that Maverick returned with just as much passion. After a few moments, Charlotte pulled back and said, "Don't turn back, Master, I want you to fuck me as you are now."

"Are you sure?" Maverick asked her.

"Please, Master," Charlotte begged, "I want that big, thick cock inside me. I want to be fucked by Maverick, my Master and owner of The Abyss."

"If that's what you wish, dear," Maverick said as he put her down. Charlotte started to look upset at the loss of contact until he took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked hard, making her gasp for breath. She ran her hand through his hair to the back of his head, and pulled him further onto her tit, making him take more of it into his mouth.

Maverick pulled back after a bit and ordered, "Turn around and face the desk, Charlotte."

"Yes, Master," Charlotte complied with a lustful smile, bending over and placing her palms on the desk and thrusting her backside into the air. He ran his hand over Charlotte's round ass and gave it a sharp slap, making her jump. He pulled her panties down and let them gather around her feet.

Charlotte was almost panting now; she was so ready to be fucked by her Master. She would have to thank this Emma Granger someday, as it was thanks to her Harry finally realized the pleasure of sex.

Maverick ran both of his hands over Charlotte's arse cheeks again and again, as if he was polishing them. Without warning, he pushed two fingers deep inside her pussy, reaching deeper and deeper with each thrust, eliciting a louder moan each time.

"You like that, don't you?" Maverick asked her, knowingly, "You dirty little whore."

Charlotte could only moan as he spread her further by adding a third finger, fucking her faster and faster. She could feel an orgasm start to build as he forced his fourth finger in.

"Oh god, I'm gonna cum," she moaned loudly. Maverick removed his fingers and began lapping her entrance, bringing her to a messy orgasm with just his mouth. It was an eternity in her mind before the tingling in her spine subsided enough for her to think clearly again. As Charlotte calmed down, she her master's face covered in her juices. She bent over and began to lick all around his mouth, tasting herself on him.

Maverick stood and undid his trousers, stepping out of them as they fell to the floor. Taking off his shirt, he sat on his chair. Charlotte looked at her Master's cock as she knelt down before him and took it in her hand. Oh how much she loved the feel of his thick cock; she couldn't wait finally have it inside of her. She wrapped both of her hands around it and started to wank him off. Before long, he took her head in his hands and started to push her down towards his huge, purple bell end.

Charlotte took the tip into her mouth as he pushed further and harder, forcing her to take more of it. She gagged a bit; it seemed he made it a bit bigger than normal, but this seemed to turn him on even more as he pushed down harder on her head. Charlotte could feel the cock at the back of her throat, trying to make its way down. She thought she was going to be sick, and pulled back my head quickly; she wasn't used to such a large cock. He was smirking at her, and she could only give him a dazed smile in return.

Leaning over, Maverick gently kissed Charlotte and ran his hands down her body again before he lifted her onto the edge of the desk. He ran his hands up her thighs, parting her legs before he began massaging her clit. Charlotte exhaled a little gasp and moved her hip in rhythm with his fingers. After a bit, he removed his hand and she could feel the end of his cock resting against her slit. He slid into her pussy in one easy thrust.

"Oh, yes! Fuck me! Fuck me hard!" Charlotte moaned, feeling wetter than she had ever been before as his rhythm sped up. His cock was pumping all the way in, far enough to touch her cervix.

After a couple of minutes, Maverick pulled out, turned Charlotte over, and pushed her onto the desk as he entered her from behind. Maverick begun grunting with each thrust; without warning, he grabbed hold of her hips and pulled her on top of him, onto the chair, his cock remaining sheathed inside her the entire time.

Charlotte started to ride him as he reached round and grabbed hold of her tits, pinching and pulling on her nipples in time with his thrusts.

"That's right, fuck me, you little whore. Fuck me," Maverick's cock stiffened inside her, and with one last thrust, he erupted deep inside Charlotte's pussy.

The two of them sat there for a couple of minutes until Charlotte felt his now-limp dick slide out of her. Reaching over for a tissue, she started to wipe the cum from her dripping pussy. He pushed her hand away and ordered her to leave it there for the night.

"Master, I need to make sure the girls are ok," Charlotte told her master, thinking about her job to look after the girls in the club.

"You can let them be for a few hours," Maverick told her.

Charlotte was going to refuse at first, but Maverick pushed his hand between her legs and ran his fingers along her slit. Massaging her clit saying, he continued, "you know you want more of this."

Charlotte head rolled back and she murmured, "Oh, god. Yes, I want more."

With that, Maverick pushed Charlotte off his lap and grabbed her hand. Charlotte looked at him as he bade her to follow. She had no choice but to follow him from the office and into a small room down the hallway. This was Maverick's room that he slept in incase he needed to spend the night at the club. It wasn't anything fancy, merely a place to sleep if he was busy and needed rest. Its contents consisted of a floor bed, cupboard, and a small side-table.

Charlotte was no stranger to nudity - it was part of her job, after all - but it felt very strange to be led around The Abyss while naked. She could feel their mixed juices running down her thighs, and hear the squelching of her pussy lips with each stride. Entering the small room, she immediately walked over to the floor bed and knelt down on all fours, shoving her arse in the air as an open invitation to her master.

"Come show me what you've got."

With that, Maverick knelt behind her and started to lick from her clit to her arsehole, stopping to probe her pussy each time before moving back, making her groan louder with every stroke. His tongue suddenly pushed into her arsehole, causing her groan once more and shake all over. Regaining control of her body, she turned and pushed her master onto his back, bent over, and pulled his cock deep into her mouth. She could hear him say, _"that's it, you little whore," _over and over. It wasn't long before she was swallowing every bit of his cum.

As Charlotte lay next to him, he looked at her with a huge grin on his face and said, "that was the best blowjob you've given me so far."

He started running his hand along her stomach as she thanked him. Charlotte saw the glint in his eye as he stood up and turned to help her to her feet. As she stood there before him, he walked around her and slapped her arse saying, "you fucking whore. You will only speak when asked to."

Charlotte couldn't believe what she had heard.

"What are you talking about, Master?" she asked, confused. He ignored her, walked over to his cupboard, and pulled a roll rope out of it.

Charlotte was shocked when she saw the ropes, but smiled at the thought. Her Master was going to tie her up and fuck her - she couldn't wait.

As he walked back over to her, she looked down and watched his cock begin to harden again.

"Put your hands together and lift them up," Maverick ordered his friend.

Charlotte immediately complied without a thought. He wrapped the rope around her wrists and tied them tightly together, then tied the other end to a bar along the wall.

"You spoke out of turn, whore; I think you need to be punished. Don't you agree?"

Charlotte knew this was part of the game, and she had hide her excitement at the fact that her fantasy was becoming a reality. It would seem her Master was trying new things, and she was the test subject.

He picked up what appeared to be a garden cane from under his bed and swiped it across her arse. Charlotte screamed in pain as he hit her again and again; it had been a while since someone did this to her. She knew - or hoped, at least - that he was expecting her to beg, but she wanted to hold out as long as possible. After a few more swats, she broke.

"Please stop," she cried, but he hit her again, "PLEASE! PLEASE STOP!"

"Will you do as you're told, whore?" her master asked her. She nodded silently, not wanting to risk being hit again.

"Good," he put down the cane and started rubbing along the raised lines that now decorated her arse. Slipping two fingers into her pussy, he started to finger-fuck her again until he'd gathered enough juice to rub into her arsehole. He repeated the process, continuously telling Charlotte how wet she was and how he was going to fuck her arse until it hurt.

Charlotte felt his cock nudge against her arsehole, the pressure slowly increasing, but with no progress. Instead, he pushed his cock up her cunt in one swift thrust before trying again. This time, he didn't go quite so gently. He thrust hard against her arse, and she gasped as he forced his cock into her. The large rod of flesh hurt as it stretched her virgin asshole, but she bent over further so he could enter her with ease. He began thrusting faster and faster; she hadn't felt anything like it before. She came within seconds, begging for more the entire time.

Maverick continued fucking Charlotte's arse as hard as he could while his fingers were pulling hard on her clit, making her come over and over. She felt his cock stiffen inside her, and with one last thrust, he filling her bowels with his cum. Charlotte felt his cock leave her body before it reappeared in front of her mouth.

"Lick it."

Not wanting to be swatted with the cane again, she bent forward and began to suck until it came back to life.

He pushed it further into her mouth, grabbed hold of her head, and started fucking her mouth with gusto, his cock hitting the back of her throat with each trust. He pulled out and unbound Charlotte. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he picked her up and entered her soaked cunt in one swift movement. Maverick fucked her hard and fast, slamming her back into the wall as a pool of their juices collected on the floor. He groaned loudly as he reached his climax yet again. Collapsing on the bed, the pair fell asleep for a couple of hours.

**( . Y . ) ( . Y . )**

_**o0OoO0o**_

_(Harry Potter) 24th of August - The Burrow:_

Harry stopped and smiled as he approached the Weasleys' home, the past evening with Charlotte playing through his mind. She had only left his side once the entire night, and that was to quickly check on the girls. The rest of the time was the two of them together, either sleeping or fucking each other. They both enjoyed the opportunity to be with each other at last; the only reason they weren't together now was because Harry had made plans to see Ember today, and see if the Grangers were back, yet, later on.

As Harry got closer to the place, the house looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic (which, Harry reminded himself, it probably was). Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, THE BURROW.

Out in the yard, Harry saw Ember talking to a red haired girl, who he suspected was the sister the twin had spoken of. Ginny Weasley, who was a one of many girls who grew hearing stories of the Boy-Who-Live, dreaming of being the lucky witch who would be his beloved Lady Potter. Harry had hopes that spending time hearing about him from Ember would assure that the girl knew he didn't need another fan-girl around. Upon seeing Ember, he walked up to her, and as he did, Ember caught sight of him and ran towards him and give him a hug.

As he was giving her a hug, he said, "Ember It's good to see you too, how is everything?"

_**o0OoO0o**_

_(Ember Veil) 24th of August - The Burrow:_

Ember Veil was sitting on The Burrow's front porch and talking to her new friend, Ginny Weasley, as they waited for Harry to arrive. She reflected on her summer; she wasn't sure if she was going to like being so close to Ronald after all of the trouble he given them at Hogwarts, but her Magical Guardian, the Headmaster, told her that she needed to be with a family. Of all the families available, he selected the Weasleys.

Things won't too easy for her at first; Ron kept making snide remarks about her and Harry, despite his mother's warnings to stop. Molly Weasley seemed concerned about Harry, and was wondering if what her son was telling the truth. On multiple occasions, the matriarch warned her to be careful around Harry, and to not do something that she wasn't ready for. All in all, Molly seemed to care about the children under her wing, but there was something about the Weasley matron that Ember couldn't place, and it put her on edge.

The problems with Ron only lasted for a few weeks. The Headmaster came to talk to Mrs. Weasley and to see how Ember was doing. From what the Headmaster told her, it was to make sure she was okay, and to give the Weasleys some money to look after her. Dumbledore talked to Ron for a bit before departing. She didn't know what was said to the youngest Weasley son, but he was much nicer towards her and Harry. He was even talking about apologizing to Harry. She was grateful for the Headmaster's intervention, but something about the situation still felt strange.

The rest of the family was a different matter. She didn't see much of Arthur and Percy Weasley, Mr. Weasley was busy as the Ministry liaison for the Mystics. With all the tips about homes that likely had items dangerous to non-magicals, he was often away at work. Percy Weasley - whilst normally at home - rarely left his room, doing what his his family could only assume was homework.

The twins, when not holed up in their room with a new prank in the works, were out flying with Ron and doing other things. Ember decided to be careful around those two, and she would handle anything they gave her with extreme caution, not wanting to be part of their pranks again, regardless of how fun they were to hang around with.

The youngest of the Weasley was Ginevra - or Ginny, when she wasn't in trouble. It was nice to be around a girl, when most of the time she was surrounded by boys, both here and at Hogwarts. Until now, the only "girl time" she she got was with Hermione. She didn't feel comfortable enough to befriend the girls in her dorms.

Ginny's obsession with Harry helped them hit things off. When the youngest Weasley learned Ember's best friend was Harry Potter, she began firing off question after question, and it went from there. Ember knew that the young female Weasley was only doing this to get to Harry, but she didn't mind. She knew that this would happen from time to time because of Harry's status as the Boy-Who-Lived,. Ember felt a bit jealous at the girl's obsession, seeing that she beginning to have feelings for the young boy, too, but she also knew others would want to be with him because of his fame. She would just have to fight for him when the time comes.

At the same time, the young girl also wanted to know Ember for Ember - not just the opportunity to get close to the Boy-Who-Lived. Other than a strange girl who by the name of Luna Lovegood who lived over the hill with her mother, Ginny didn't have any female friends. Ember was more than happy to be Ginny's friend.

Over the last few weeks, the two of them talked about all sorts of things, most either revolving around Hogwarts, Quidditch, or Harry. Ember was shocked to find out that the Weasleys weren't as poor as Ron made them out to be. Sure, they had the hand-me-downs and such, but that was to save money. Mr. Weasley's job was a good one, and it paid well. If it wasn't for him and Mrs. Weasley having seven children, they would be much more well-off. Having so many children was a financial strain, especially when it came time to put them through school. After a few more years, their finances would start looking exceptionally better.

The other week, Ginny confided in her about a diary she found in her things - a diary that wrote back to her. When Ember asked who give it to her, Ginny explained that she wasn't sure, but suspected that it came from either her father or the twins. It was a fairly common thing, where one of them would give her something without the others knowing - a treat of sorts. They did it in secret mostly because of Ron. He was incredibly jealous, and would often whine that she got something that he didn't. Ember could believe that, seeing how Ron acted before.

Ginny thought it would be fun for the two of them to share the diary. Tom, as it called itself, was a very good listener and often gave sound advice. Ember was a bit hesitant at first, but she found it somewhat useful, and began to enjoy the activity with her new friend.

With the summer holiday coming to an end, the girls were on the porch, talking about the upcoming year at Hogwarts when Ember saw Harry coming up the pathway. Upon seeing him, she ran towards him and gave him a hug. Her friend returned it and greeted her.

"It's good to see you, too, Ember. How is everything?"

"It's good," Ember told her friend, "how was your holiday?"

"It was interesting. The Grangers took me to a nudist camp," Harry told Ember. Both of the girls blushed at the thought of seeing Harry naked. Pretending not to notice, Harry went on to say, "so who is your friend?"

"Oh, this is Ginny Weasley," Ember introduce Harry to Ginny, "Ginny, this is Harry Potter."

"Hello," Ginny squeaked, her shyness confining her to hiding behind Ember.

Harry decided not to say anything about her shyness. From what he'd learned from the twins, he could imagine she was fairly nervous about meeting the Boy-Who-Lived. Instead, he spoke to her gently.

"It's nice to meet you, Ginny. Ember mentioned you in her letters, but she never told me how cute you were," Harry teased the young girl. Ember smirked, knowing what her friend was doing, but also to hide her jealousy. Ginny blushed a deep scarlet, and ran inside to her room.

Harry just smiled as the girl ran off, happy with his work. Turning to see his friend's expression, he said, "Ember, don't be jealous. You're just as cute - if not cuter than - her."

The young girl's face nearly turned as red as her friend's hair, which made Harry smile. He turned serious as a thought occurred to him, and asked, "How is Ron treating you? I know you said Dumbledore talked to him, but you haven't said much after that."

"Surprisingly good," Ember said with a concern look, "I don't know what the Headmaster said to him, but he seems to be better. He even apologized to me for the way he acted. Didn't both to explain why he acted the way he did, he just apologized after Dumbledore told him to, and that make me wonder why."

"I agree, that is strange. We'll just have to wait and see what happens," Harry admitted. It was strange for Ron to apologize for no reason other than Dumbledore talking to him. It could be innocent enough, and all that was need for Ron was someone like Dumbledore talking to him and making him see sense, but at the same time, it could be some sort of plan to get Ron back on Harry's good side for some reason. He couldn't be sure just yet. All he could do was keep an eye on him and see what happens. Whatever the case, he'll have to be careful around the young redhead until he knows what's what. Before they could continue their conversation, a plump woman with red hair came outside. Considering she appeared to be in her late forties, she must be the mother of the Weasley family.

She saw Harry and smiled, "Hello, dear. Who might you be?"

"I'm Harry Potter. I'm friends with Ember and the twins," Harry introduced himself.

"Oh, I have heard so much about you from them," Mrs. Weasley beamed. She now understood why her daughter was making a beeline for her room when she passed her, "I'm Molly Weasley. I'm terribly sorry about my youngest son, Ronald. Having five older brother's and a younger sister, he is somewhat insecure about himself and sometimes believes the world owes him everything. Arthur and I have tried knocking some sense into him, but he often forgets and ends up getting himself into trouble. I hope you can forgive his actions for the last year, dear."

Harry smiled at Mrs. Weasley. He knew that those who were insecure could act like Ron did, but he felt there was more to it. Deciding to think more on it later, he said, "I'll give him another chance, Mrs. Weasley."

"Thank you, dear, that's all I'm asking. I know how important friends are at your age," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile, "Well, come along, then. Let's get you something to eat and you can catch up with Ron and the twins."

Harry followed Mrs. Weasley into the Burrow where she prepared him a plate of lunch. After finishing the quick meal, he meet up with the twins, who were boasting about all the new pranks they had designed over the break. This made Harry weary of the twins, as he didn't want to fall for one of their pranks again in the future. He spent a few minutes with Ron, who took the time to apologize to him and promise to try to be a better friend. Harry didn't put much stock in his words, knowing that sooner or later, he would go back to his old habits again. If Ron managed to change his ways, Harry imagined he could be useful in the future, but it seemed incredibly unlikely. For the next few hours, Harry and Ember spent their time talking and walking around the land.

He didn't get a chance to meet Ron's brother, Percy, as he seemed to be out for the day. As for Arthur, Harry met him briefly before he departed to see if Hermione and her parents were back, yet. From what little interaction he had with the man, he could tell he was crazy about the Muggle World and their gadgets.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_(Harry Potter) 24th of August - The Granger's Residence:_

About half an hour later of leaving the Weasleys, Harry was still waiting for the Grangers to answer the door. He suspected that they either hadn't returned, or they had gone out for the evening. Thankfully, Emma already told him where the spare key was.

He used the key and entered the house, calling out to see if anyone was in - still no reply - he decided to look around. When he entered the kitchen, he found a book on the table that he knew wasn't there before. Thinking it may be a notebook containing a message for him, Harry picked it up and read it. His curiosity was quickly replaced with shock as he realized he was going through Emma's diary,

He just skimmed the first few pages, finding nothing of interest - mainly her feelings, and how upset she was that she wasn't getting nearly as much sex as she would have liked. Apparently it had been years since she'd been given a good shagging, according to one entry, since shortly after Melody's birth. A few entries later and the contents grew more sexually frustrated as one date was noted 'the anniversary of Dan's accident.'

He was about to close the book when he saw his own name start to appear. Emma was hesitant at first, but she definitely felt that he was handsome, even if he was a child. Her feelings for him seemed to be stronger than what they should be. There were several _'what if'_ scenarios written down in which she stayed in the hut after things got out of hand during The Talk. Some of the more recent scenarios featured Harry catching her masturbating in her cabin towards the end of their vacation. He thought he had gotten away with it at the time, but it was obvious that he had been caught. Instead of stopping - like she knew she should have - she felt particularly naughty and decided to give him a show, secretly hoping to entice him into one of the many fantasies she had written in her diary. His voyeurism apparently turned on even more, and she got off - hard - knowing she was giving Harry wet dreams of his own.

Harry could hardly believe it. She pushed him away, saying she didn't want anything to do with him, while lusting over him the entire time in her diary. Here, in black and white, Emma wanted nothing more than to have him to fuck her in ways she could only dream of - ways Dan could never hope to achieve.

It was then an idea came to him, a way to bypass her defences when he decided to make his move. With a twirl of his hand and a hissed spell, and the pleasant thrum of his magic indicated that her diary was now enchanted with a weak lust spell. It was something the twins showed him during his visit to see Ember. It had started out as an idea for a prank, but decided against it because they didn't want things to get out of hand. For Harry, the spell was ideal for what he had in mind. It would take some time, but the wait would be worth it. With the spell being as weak as it was, Emma could easily break it with any strong reservations, so the need to get rid of Dan was still there.

As Harry put the diary down, he heard the shocked voice of Emma call from behind him, "H-Harry, what are you doing here? We weren't expecting you here for a few more days."

Harry turned around and saw a wet, naked Emma Granger. It looked like she had just gotten out of a bath. Looking at the naked woman, and knowing that they were alone, Harry walked around to stand behind her. He reached around and began to play with Emma's breasts, "I came to see if you were back yet."

"Pl-please stop, Harry. I-I told you we can't do this," Emma weakly protested, either unwilling or unable to pull away from the boy.

"You might say no," Harry smirked as his hand ran down and brushed against her pussy, "but your body and your diary says otherwise."

"My… my diary?" Emma asked in shock.

"I thought it was a notebook you left out to let me know you were back, and where you were," Harry explained, as he pushed his fingers into her, "Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be your diary. I was going to stop once I realized, but then you caught my interest when I saw my name. And guess what I found? You want this, you really want this."

Emma blushed; she was embarrassed at the thought that she left her diary out for anyone to see. What if one of her family members saw it? They would learn what happened between her and Harry.

Knowing she couldn't deny it, she explained between moans of pleasure, "Y-You're right. I do want this, but I'm happily married and have children, I don't want to ruin that. Please, Harry, if you really care about Hermione and Melody, you'll stop this. Please, they'll be back soon, they just went to pick up dinner for us."

As much as Harry hated to admit it, Emma was right. He didn't want to ruin his friendship with the girls - not until he had them as _his_. Melody was almost there, but Hermione would be more difficult. She was a goody to shoes, so to speak. She had lightened up over the last year, but she still fiercely believe in and followed the rules and the law. Until he could get rid off her old habits, it would be hard to get her completely by his side. To allow himself to get caught now would be bad, so he pulled away. He let go of her with a sigh, "You're right, Emma. I don't want to ruin my friendship with the girls."

"Good… Please, Harry, not a word about this to anyone," Emma pleaded.

"I won't, and I promise not to do this again." Harry told her, mentally adding the caveat of_ 'for a while at least.'_ With that, Emma excused herself to get dried and dressed, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts as they waited for the rest of the family to return.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the fourth part of The Serpent's Lair Saga, I would like to thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it and spend a few moments to review. I hope you read all of this note, as I would like your feedback on some of these, to help me out in the story. I would like to admit right now that this isn't how I wanted to write the chapter, I wanted it to be more Ember centred, but I was unable to come up with anything, so it turned out this way. So whilst I'm unhappy at how it turned out, and admit not my best, but in the end, I got what I could out of it. This chapter took longer than suspected, as the mood to write was there.

This is the last chapter for a while, as I'm going on holiday on the 17th of this month, and so won't be able to write more until I return. So I hope you like.

Now with this being the last chapter of the summer ones, we'll be seeing Harry's second year coming, with a few twist and turns. So please I would like to hear ideas as to what you would like to happen in the second year, all ideas are welcomed.

A few question I would like your thoughts on:

_**Should I have the basilisk killed at the end of the saga or not? I say it is more useful dead and being in the money as I think about it. But I would like to hear your thoughts about it, and I'll go with the most outspoken thoughts. (Poll is up so you can vote on my profile and in reviews. I'll leave the poll up for about two/three chapters before I post the results.)**_

_**During the second year, what pranks should Harry and the twins pull? I hope you can help with this as I'm wanting a few magical and non-magical ones. Please help me out here, as I'm after some ideas and would like to use some of them soon. I'm now looking for a prank that the Weasley Twins could pull on Harry first, as it'll start off a prank war between the three of them, any ideas please let me know.**_

Just a reminder, if I get a flame review and they are guests and aren't helpful I'll be removing them. But if they point out a problem that needs to be fixed, or ideas that I could use to make the story better I'll keep them. I'm not against flame reviews, but only if they are helpful and help me to become a better writer. Otherwise I don't want to know about them. Please consider this when reviewing, as I don't want you to waste your time or mine in useless flame reviews that if not going to be helpful aren't going to be seen.

I would like to announce that unless you have my alerts for new stories, I have posted a new story. This one is a Fairy Tail/Overlord story, where Natsu is the Overlord. I won't say much, as I want you to read it for yourself, but it is an Evil/Harem/Powerful/Natsu. This is the chapter I'm working on next until I get a few reviews, seeing if you got any ideas for the future chapters and the next one.

Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story.

_**Next on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ In the next chapter, we'll see Harry and Co boarding the Hogwarts Express, I won't say more so not to spoil the chapter.


	24. Chapter 21 - The Serpent's Lair: Part 5

_**Chapter Twenty-One...**_

_**The Serpent's Lair - Part 5!**_

_**(Hogwarts Express.)**_

_1st of September - King's Cross Station:_

It had been a week since Harry was caught by a naked Emma while reading her diary, and things had been busy for him since. When he wasn't with the Grangers, he was visiting Ember at the Weasleys, or working (fucking Charlotte) at The Abyss. Despite all the distractions, Harry couldn't keep his mind off Emma and how much he wanted to fuck her. As much as he liked Dan, and as much he cared for Hermione and Melody, he knew that the only way he could have Emma for himself was to kill Dan.

He knew that he'd have to be careful; should the Grangers find out he was behind Dan's death before he had full control of them, they would turn on him. Out of the three women, Melody was the closest to beinging fully his. Just a bit longer and there would be no questioning her dedication towards him.

Killing Dan would have to be all about timing. He couldn't do it while he was still in London; most wouldn't suspect him of being the killer because of his age, but the chance was still there. He decided he would have to wait a bit for the perfect opportunity to present itself.

The previous week had passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was time for them to return to Hogwarts. With thirty minutes to spare, the party was making their way through King's Cross towards platform nine-and-three-quarters. They reached the portal only to find that they were unable to pass through it.

"Any idea what's going on?" Melody asked as she looked around to make sure no one had seen the three of them just walk into a pillar.

"No," Harry admitted to the young girl, "as far as I know, this sort of thing has never happened before. Hermione, have you heard of anything like this?"

"I think I read in _Hogwarts: A History_, that the portal to Merlin's Station has occasionally malfunctioned in the past." Hermione told Harry and her family after some thought.

"Is there another way to the station?" Emma asked her oldest daughter.

"Yes, mum," Hermione replied, "there's a small family bar for Magical Users and their families. There's an active Floo connection we can use to get to Merlin's Station."

As they reached the bar, unsurprisingly named Merlin's Bar, they found it was like any other family bar that the Grangers been to. High-top tables and chairs were arranged throughout the floor, and TVs adorned most walls. It was for all the world what one would expect of a bar aside from one decoration. A sign was mounted above the counter reading 'FLOO CONNECTION Ask at counter,' but Emma and Dan couldn't see it.

Harry spoke softly as they reached the counter, just in case there were those around who didn't know about the Wizarding World, "Excuse me, but me and my friends would like to use the Floo connection to get onto Merlin's Station."

"Of course, sir. Is there a problem with the main entrance?" asked the bartender.

"The barrier was stuck shut," Dan explained.

"Strange... I'll have someone go check on it and send the remaining passengers here," the barman told them, "now, are any of you non-magicals?"

"Only my wife and I," replied Dan.

"In that case, I'm afraid you'll have to stay here," he told Dan and Emma, "there's an anti-Muggle ward around the fireplace so non-magicals can't find it."

"Goodbye mum, dad. I love you. We'll see you see you at Christmas," Hermione said her farewells as she hugged her parents before Flooing to Merlin's Station, Melody followed at a much more sedate pace.

Once they were through, Harry said his goodbyes, as well. Emma surprised him with a sudden hug and a warm smile. "Don't think that wasn't meant for you, too. You're officially invited to stay at the Granger residence for Christmas."

Initially, she didn't want to ask and risk repeating what happened during the summer, but her daughters would ask why he wasn't allowed, and rather than telling them the truth - which she didn't want to - she had no reason not to invite him.

"Thanks, Emma. As long as nothing comes up, I'd be happy to come," Harry said with a happy smile.

"That's good to hear. Please look after our girls," Emma requested. Harry shook his head with a fond look.

"I hope you mean that rhetorically; you don't even need to ask," he said over his shoulder as he slipped through the Floo.

The remaining Grangers turned around and grabbed each other's hand, exchanging a loving look as they revelled in the fact that their daughters would be looked after by someone they trusted.

They were going to their car to do some shopping before returning home, when they were almost bowled over by a frenzied-looking ginger boy. They tried to follow him with their eyes, but quickly lost track of him. It turned out to be unnecessary, though. When they heard the meaty thump of a body slamming into a wall, it was easy to guess what had happened.

The two walked away, unaware that adolescent wizard did not know about the bar or the Floo, and would end up stealing his dad's flying car and flying to Hogwarts, breaking the Statute at least a dozen times in the process. Just a few moments after, someone from Merlin's Bar came to direct magicals to the bar.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_Merlin's Station:_

Once they were in the underground station, they made their way to the Hogwarts Express, to search for an empty compartment for themselves and their friends. They decided on one at the end of the train, in the hopes that Malfoy wouldn't bother them.

They met up with Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, and Su Li on their way to the Hogwarts Express, and let them know where they were planning on sitting. Susan was being escorted by Kingsley Shacklebolt - a tall, bald, black Auror - by order of her Aunt Amelia. Hannah and Su were with their families, and they quickly greeted Harry before the crowd got a chance to recognize him. Before they could make it to the train, they were stopped by the Longbottoms.

Harry told the girls to go ahead and find them a compartment; he would find them as soon as he dealt with the Longbottoms. Hermione and Melody felt that they should stay and support their friend/master, but Harry insisted it was something he had to do alone. Seeing that Harry wasn't going to change his mind, they went off to find a compartment without him.

"How can I help you?" Harry asked with a bored tone.

"I was wondering if you had thought about what we talked about before the holidays?" Alice queried her godson.

"I have," Harry admitted to the group.

"And?" asked Frank Longbottom.

"I'm still not sure if I should bother with you lot," Harry told him. He went on before they could say anything, "Why should I when none of you bothered with me until I got to Hogwarts?"

What could they say to that? They had abandoned Harry when it was their job to look after him. They couldn't rightfully expect Harry to trust them, but Alice wasn't going to give up; Harry was the last link to her friend, Lily, and she had a lot to make up for. In an attempt to build bridges between Harry and her family, she said, "I know we don't deserve your forgiveness, but I would like to start mending the damage that we have caused. You don't have to see me or the others, outside of Neville during class, but could we exchange letters with each other? We'll see where we can go from there."

Harry thought about this as he looked her over. While he didn't want anything to do with the family, he did like the looks of Alice. He would like nothing more than to break her and make her pay for how she abandoned him all those years ago. Looking at her, Harry decided that writing her would be a good start to his plan for revenge. It would take time, but he would get his satisfaction.

"Fine," Harry said simply, "I'll send you a letter soon."

Without another word, Harry boarded the train and set off to find his friends. He found them at the very end of the train, talking to each other about what Melody could expect at Hogwarts. As the three were talking, there was a knock on the door before it opened to reveal Susan, Hannah, and Su.

"Hi, guys!" The three girls greeted them with wide smiles, before looking towards the unknown girl with a questioning expression.

"This is my sister, Melody," Hermione introduced her sister to her friends, "Melody, this is Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, and Su Li."

"Nice to meet you, Melody," Susan said with a smile, "so how are you three? Did you have a good summer?"

"We're not too bad," Harry replied, summing up all three of their opinions, before telling the others about their summer. The three girls blushed at hearing what their friends did for the summer. Sure, they got letters from them saying that they were going to the nudist camp, but they thought their friends were pulling their legs. After talking for a bit, Harry asked, "So have you seen the others?"

"Cedric is with his friends," Hannah told them, "I saw Ember with a redheaded girl, I think it was the Weasley twins' sister - Ginny, I think her name was."

"Yeah, the two of them became friends over the summer while Ember stayed with the Weasleys," Harry told them, "Did you see the twins or the others?"

"I saw Fred and George talking to their friend, Lee," Susan explained to the group, "I think they were talking about pranks that they were planning for the year. We haven't seen Alicia, Angelina, nor Katie yet, but suspect they're around somewhere."

As the girls sat down, they felt the train lurch into motion. Not long after, Susan asked, "So, Melody, what do you think of the Wizarding World so far?"

Before Melody could say anything, there was a knock on the compartment door and the black-haired girl with the heart-shaped face from Rue de Lumière stepped in. Before Harry or the girls could greet her - or she them - Susan hissed, "_Lestrange_, what are you doing here?"

"Do you know each other?" Harry asked the two girls. He suspected that Hannah also knew of this girl, if the dark looks she was directing at their new arrival were anything to judge by.

"Not personally, no," Susan admitted, darkly, never taking her eyes off the other girl, "but I have seen her around with her mother, Bellatrix Lestrange."

Seeing the blank looks on her friend's face, who, unlike Hannah and Su, didn't seem to recognize the name, she went on to explain, "Bellatrix Lestrange was one of the most feared Death Eaters that followed the Dark Lord in the last war. They say that she was the most trusted and loyal Death Eater You-Know-Who ever had. The only reason that she didn't get sent to Azkaban was because she said she was under the Imperius curse and bribed a bunch of people."

"Like you know anything, Bones," Lestrange sneered at the girl, "there are things about my mother that you could never understand."

Before things devolved into a fight, Harry asked, "So, Anastasia, what can I do for you?"

"Just wanted to say hi and see if your friends got over Lockhart yet," Anastasia told Harry.

"Mostly we have," a red-faced Hermione said. Melody was also blushing, both girls embarrassed that they once had a crush on the fraud. If he was a fiction writer, things might be different, but to be honest, Lockhart's books were not well written at all compared to Muggle books. The Granger sisters had a crush on the main character - who the author was supposed to be but wasn't. They hoped that they wouldn't have to talk about it, but it appeared their friends weren't prepared to be so merciful.

"Lockhart?" asked Su, "What happened?"

Here, Anastasia explained with a playful smile what happened back at Rue de Lumière, and Harry explained how he helped them get over their crush by pointing out some of the things that didn't make sense. Despite Susan, Hannah, and Su's distrust of Anastasia Lestrange being there, they couldn't help but laugh at Hermione and Melody for having a crush on a fool like Lockhart.

"You're not being serious, are you?" Susan said with a giggle, "You two actually had a crush on Gilderoy Lockhart?"

"Well, to be fair, Susan, don't most witches and a few wizards have a crush on the fool?" Harry asked the redhead as Hermione and Melody covered their faces in embarrassment, "He does sell a good story, and says that it's real. You can't blame so many people for believing his lies."

"True," Anastasia had to admit, "So what were you lot talking about?"

Before the dissenters could respond, Harry answered, "Susan was asking Melody what she thought of the Wizarding World."

"So you're a Muggleborn?" Anastasia asked with interest.

"Is that a problem, Lestrange?" Susan sneered at the young girl, slightly surprising Harry with the venom behind it.

"No, none at all," Anastasia told them, shocking Susan, Hannah, and Su, "my mother taught me not only to fear Muggles and Muggleborns, but to also respect them."

Seeing the look of interest in Harry's eyes, she went on to explain, "My mum says we should fear them because of the changes some of them try to force upon our world. There are changes that need to be made, but most of the time they shouldn't be forced. Some things do need to be forced, though, like the clothes we wear."

"Oh?" Su inquired.

"Look at what we normally wear! Robes, for Merlin's sake," Anastasia exclaimed in exasperation, "I lived most of my life in the Muggle World, and I have to say that the best things that they have changed over the years are the clothes. They have a large range of clothing but the Wizarding World doesn't. Not only that, but Muggles have a wider range of foods and other things."

Susan, Hannah, and Su looked at the girl in shock. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. They thought that Anastasia would be as pro-Pureblood as her mother was rumoured to be.

"They have done a lot of things that we should respect them for, but we still need to be careful of them."

"Why is that?" Harry asked with interest.

"The wars," Anastasia told them darkly, "They go to war for the littlest things, like religion or politics. They go to war when one country has resources the others want and isn't sharing. They've even gone to war just because they thought it was their _right_ to take what other people already had. The Wizarding World has only had two wars while the Muggle world has been to war countless times - many of them simply because they didn't like the guys on the other side of the fence."

"True, the Wizarding World does seem to have fewer wars than the Muggle world," Harry had to admit. Hermione and Melody nodded in agreement. He considered the added problems Muggles had, though. Magic helped ease a lot of the strain on resources, but witches and wizards no longer lived amongst Muggles. Ever since the Church started making people believe that magic was unholy, most had been killed or chased into hiding.

"But, like I said: Muggles should be respected, too," Anastasia told them, "They've done things that the Wizarding World hasn't even dreamed of. Things like going into space, or creating new kinds of food and clothing. They've made unbelievable advances in technology, medicine, and even entertainment. So I treat Muggles and Muggleborns with caution until they earn my trust."

As much as the wizard-raised girls hated to admit, the Lestrange girl had a point. Muggles and Muggleborns were dangerous. Even if the rest of the Wizarding World tried to help Muggleborns fit in, some of their ideas could still be very dangerous. At least Lestrange didn't seem to outright hate Muggles and Muggleborns; she just regarded them with a healthy amount caution. It was something they had to think about, especially after Harry, Melody, and even Hermione begrudgingly agreed with her. Hermione didn't like to see the Muggle World in such a bad light, but knew it to be the truth.

"So what are your thoughts about the Wizarding World?" Anastasia asked Melody.

"It's not too bad from what I've seen so far, though I found out that I am what you lot consider a Mystic. Although, I think mages -" Melody explained until Su interrupted.

"Mages?"

"Mages are what I call wizards and witches," Melody explained to the group, "I don't know about you lot, but in the Muggle world, being called a witch is somewhat insulting, and I thought you should have a more general name that wasn't as insulting to us females who have magic."

"That _is _true," Anastasia admitted to the group, "In the Muggle world, 'witch' is often used more as an insult than as a title. It's like they're calling you a bitch. To be honest, I like the idea of being called mages. It feels better."

Melody smiled at the young witch for her support as she went on to say, "Not only do I dislike females being called witches, I also hate the term 'Muggle.' I prefer 'mundane' or 'non-magical,' as 'Muggle' sounds insulting. How would you lot feel if we call you something like 'wiggles' instead? I bet you'd want to do something about it."

Susan, Hannah, Su, and even Anastasia looked at Hermione and Harry, and they could see that the pair agreed with the younger girl. As they thought about it, they could see Melody's point of view, but to them, it was the way they were brought up. Although they agreed with her, it would be hard to change people's mind about such things.

Before anything else was said, the compartment door opened, and Malfoy and his two goons walked in, "Well, lads, look what we have here. Scarhead, a couple of half-blood sluts, a blood traitor, and a Mudblood," Draco said with a sneer.

The insult instantly angered the group, those not magically raised already familiar with the term "Mudblood."

"Bones, I thought even as a blood traitor, you would think more of yourself than to be around these kinds of people," He paused when he saw Melody and suddenly smirked. "Oh, and what do we have here? Another whore for Potter?"

"Leave my sister alone," Hermione snapped.

"Another Mudblood. Hogwarts really _is _going to the dogs," Draco scoffed, ignoring the bushy haired girl.

The girls were glaring at the youngest Malfoy, but Harry appeared far calmer. Under the calm facade, though, he felt an intense urge to kill Draco. He forced himself to resist, since the last thing he needed was to be arrested for homicide.

"I'm a Mystic, actually, but if you don't like that, you could use the term 'Newblood,'" Melody mused aloud.

"New-what, Mudblood?" Malfoy asked with a sneer. To him, a Mystic was just another Mudblood but with a fancy title; now this Mudblood was thinking of giving herself another one.

Anastasia was going to speak up, but she wanted to hear where Melody was going with this. This was getting interesting, and she wanted to see what would happen before she intervened.

"Newblood, you albino git," Melody answered, calmly, not rising to the bait. "Whilst I'm a Mystic, my sister and I are still first-generation magic users. If you can take pride in your old bloodlines and get a fancy title for it, why shouldn't we, the first generation of magic users, have a title too? At least my title is less insulting. Although I'm technically a Mystic, I take pride in being part of the first generation of mages in my family. It's odd, though. You take such pride in being 'pure,' but I'll bet if you looked back a few centuries, you'd find that your 'noble' family line was just another group of peasants - Mudbloods, if you prefer - just like everybody else."

Malfoy turned crimson as he pulled his wand out. The others, apart from Harry, who had his own wand aimed at Malfoy, looked at Melody in shock. Nobody - not even the most avid Muggle-supporters and anti-Malfoy factions - had ever told the Malfoys their family came from Mudbloods. "H-how dare you! You'll regret this! I'll-" Malfoy sputtered, indignantly, only to get cut off.

"You'll do nothing dear cousin," Anastasia cut in.

"Cousin?" Harry, Hermione, and Melody said together in shock.

"Sadly, yes, I am the fool's cousin," Anastasia admitted darkly, not liking the idea of being related to Malfoy, "something I don't like to think about. Anyway, Draco, you won't be doing anything."

"Anastasia, what are you doing here with Scarhead and his sluts?" Draco asked his cousin in shock.

"What do you think I'm doing?" sneered Anastasia, "Trying to make allies in other houses. Didn't your father teach you anything?"

"But they're nothing more than Mudbloods and blood traitors," he argued back.

"No, they're possible allies, at least one of whom is a Mystic," Anastasia told her cousin, and Harry had her correct herself, "Okay, make that two Mystics, one of which is also the Boy-Who-Lived. And one of those so-called blood traitors is the niece of Madam Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Whilst we might not be best friends, that doesn't mean that we can't be allies."

"But the Dark Lord -" began Draco, but was stopped as Anastasia said, "Was a fool. He underestimated Muggles, Muggleborns, and the Mystics. If they wanted to, they could easily wipe our kind out and where would you be? Mum and I learned over the years to work with them - rather than against them - and ally ourselves with others to stay safe."

"You blood traitor," Draco sneered in disgust at his cousin's actions, "How could you betray our family like this?"

"Oh, please. I'm not betraying the family; Mum and I are just changing with the times," Anastasia told Draco, "You may not like to hear this, dear cousin, but like it or not, the so-called 'Pureblood Society' is slowly coming to an end. Unless we change our ways and work with - as Melody called them - the Newbloods, our family name will die off."

"How dare you say that, Lestrange…" Draco began darkly, hate evident in his eyes. Before he finished his thought, Harry stepped up to him.

"I think you better leave, Malfoy," Harry responded with flames in his eyes, "before you and your goons get hurt. Unless you've been stricken blind since we last met, there are only three of you and six of us - seven if your cousin wants to help kick some sense into you, too. And those brainless lumps that follow you around are only good for looking ugly. By my count, each one of us is worth at least twelve of you. The math isn't looking very good," he finished with a cocky smirk, knowing it would get under Draco's skin.

As much as Draco hated to admit it, Potter was right. He was outmanned and out powered; should something happen, it was sure to not go his way. For once, he used his Slytherin side: when things are not going your way, retreat, regather and plan so that the next time _does _go your way. Before turning to leave, Draco sneered as he said, "You should watch out, Potter. It's not going to be the same as last year… you and your Mudblood whores won't be safe."

"Whatever, Malfoy," Harry said, dismissively, "You're all bark and no bite."

"We'll see about that," Malfoy said with a smirk. He turned to his cousin before leaving, "This isn't over, Lestrange."

With Malfoy gone, Susan looked at Anastasia in shock, "Why did you stand up for us? I thought the Malfoys and the Lestranges were allies."

"In the past, they might have been, but me and my mother doesn't like the Malfoys too much. Other than my mother's sister, that is," Anastasia admitted to them, "And I hate Draco even more. His father has some skill and cunning, but Draco's all talk, always relying on his father to get him out of trouble or get him what he wants. But as I said: I want to be allies with you lot, possibly even friends."

"Won't he make trouble for you?" Melody asked the young girl.

"He can try, but he's nothing without his father around. Not only that, but both of the Malfoy males are afraid of my mother," Anastasia told them with a smirk, "Anyway, it is good to see you three again, and I hope to see you all around school. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with Draco."

With that, the young Lestrange left the compartment. Susan spoke up not long after.

"I still don't trust her, and neither should you, Harry."

"Why?" asked Harry.

"I don't care what she says, her whole family's not to be trusted," Susan told him and the two Granger girls, "I don't know what, but she's up to something. The Lestranges, Malfoys, and Blacks, her mother's family," Susan added seeing the confused looks, "have either been Death Eaters or silent supporters of the Dark Lord. You can't trust any of them."

Harry made a mental note of this so he could look more into these families.

"Susan let me ask you something, are we at war?" he asked.

"No, we're not. So what?" replied Susan.

It was Su Li that came up with the answer, "She really might want to become allies."

"Exactly," Harry said with a smile, "As she said, she and her mother are trying to adjust to a world with so many Mystics and Muggleborns, or as Mel calls them, Newbloods. They realized that going against them would be a bad move, and so both of them are trying to change so that they don't get left behind with the rest of the Purebloods. So I say unless she does something, we let her be and see where things go."

"Fine, I'll give her a chance. But until I see otherwise, I won't trust her or her mother. I've heard too many things about her mother," Susan told them. Su and Hannah nodded in agreement.

"That's all I ask. Give her a chance and see what happens," Harry said with a smile. The compartment was quiet for a few moment as everyone considered all that had just happened.

"Harry, why are you so dismissive of Draco?" Melody wondered.

"As I said, he's all bark and no bite. As much as he would like to make it out that he's all powerful and someone nobody messes with, he never gets his hands dirty," Harry said dryly. Many of the others nodded in agreement - even Hermione.

"Whenever something doesn't go his way," Harry continued, "he goes to Snape, or threatens to bring his father into it, but he never does anything himself."

Harry paused as he rummaged through his bag, searching for a book to occupy the rest of his ride. "Let's just forget about him, relax, and have some fun. He's just a waste of time."

Apparently Harry chose a book just in time as the girls took his words as cue to start whispering amongst themselves.

_**o0OoO0o**_

Anastasia entered Draco's compartment, and immediately used her force powers to knock out Draco's supposed bodyguards before pressing him against the wall with enough pressure to to hear the metal creak behind him.

"What the fuck, Lestrange?" Draco groaned.

"Shut it, you dunce. Do you have any idea what you nearly did back there?" she hissed at the young boy before showing him her thumb and forefinger spaced a hair's-width apart, "You came _this close_ to ruining my plans for Potter."

"So you're only making friends so you can get to Potter?" Draco asked his cousin, "You don't really want to be friends with Mudbloods and blood traitors after all?"

"I meant every bloody word, you idiot," Anastasia snapped, "I've already told you. As much as you might hate it, sooner or later, the Purebloods are going to lose control. And it's likely to be sooner if fools like you keep pissing off the Muggleborns and Mystics."

"Oh, please. The Mystics are nothing more than cannon fodder," sneered Draco, "when the Dark Lord returns, he'll get rid of them _and _Potter."

"You truly are an idiot," Anastasia sighed, "Mystics are much more powerful than any wand-user out there, and they could wipe the floor with the so-called Dark Lord should they want to. They also don't have to worry about being separated from their powers during battle since they don't depend on wands," Draco just scoffed at this, but didn't say a word, "As for Potter, he could squish you with ease."

"Oh please, Potter is nothing more than a weak fool," he sneered once again, believing that the Boy-Who-Lived was little more than a jump-up little brat.

"You wish," she scoffed in return, "I've felt his power, and he's stronger than anyone I've ever met, including my own mother. That's why I want to try and get him, and hopefully use him for my plans."

"Your plans?" Draco asked.

"You don't need to know what they are," Anya told him, "The only thing you need to know is that, should you get in my way again, I _will _make you disappear. And a bit of a warning, dear cousin: leave Potter alone. You might not think so, but he'll crush you like a bug if you bother him too much."

She released her hold on him and watched in disgust as he stumbled and fell. Plans for her next move occupied her mind as she left to get something to eat. Unknown to her though, there was one other person who had plans for Harry Potter.

_**o0OoO0o**_

"Are you sure about this?" Blaise Zabini asked of his friend, Daphne Greengrass. He was a tall boy for his age; a dark-skinned young man with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes that put a chill in the air, almost covered by his black hair. His Italian descent was evident is his faint accent, "We're already outcasts in Slytherin for not bowing down to Malfoy. But doing as you say and publicly siding with Potter will make us even bigger targets than we are now, and some of the more… aggressive factions of the school will make our lives hell. The Weasley twins don't pull any punches when it comes to Draco 'My Father' Malfoy and his cronies, and they might see us as no different."

"I have to agree with Blaise, Daph." Tracey voiced her support. She had brown, shoulder-length hair; soft, sky-blue eyes; blemish-free tan skin; and supple lips. She was a beautiful girl, but felt ordinary at times compared to her two friends. "If we do this, we'll be looking over our shoulders more than we normally do."

"I know that," Daphne sighed. She had blonde hair that fell over her shoulder, contrasting nicely with her light-green eyes. Her skin was silky, her lips soft, and her curves were already developing and showed no signs of slowing down; overall, she was stunningly beautiful, and would likely only become more so. Many of the girls her own age - especially those in Slytherin - would kill for looks like hers, "It has been hard for us - especially you - two for following me. But you said it yourself: Draco is a fool, and following him would make us bigger fools ourselves."

The plan in question was Daphne's bid to take Draco's power over the Slytherin house for themselves. Tracey was a half-blood, and had a less-than-good family name. It was only because she was friends with Daphne - and Blaise, to a lesser extent - that she was protected from the rest of the house. If she didn't have their protection, she would be nothing more than a fuck toy for the rest of her time in Slytherin.

The problem was that there was only so much they could do to help her. Although Blaise came from money and a good family name, he still had problems of his own. Despite his family's power, he lost the respect of his peers for liking boys; his name barely gave him protection from the beatings. Daphne being the heiress of the Greengrass family was the only thing stopping Tracey from being a plaything for the Slytherins, and likely the only reason Blaise's beatings haven't been as severe as they had for past students.

From this, Daphne derived the idea of taking Slytherin house for themselves; they would finally have power and protection. Daphne was unofficially their leader, as not only was it her idea, but there was a reason people were beginning to call her the Ice Queen of Slytherin: she was an Ice Mystic. As a child, she taught herself to use ice and water to defend her family and herself.

While this could be the edge they needed in order to take control of the Slytherin house, their problem was that there were only three of them in the group, and the upper years had more power and more knowledge. A few even knew some darker magic, which would make it difficult for them to get far if those students resisted. Daphne had bigger plans, though. Plans in which taking control of Slytherin House was key, and would serve as a first step in taking over the British Wizarding World for herself.

She was coming to realize that she needed more power in order for her plans to see fruition. After seeing Potter in action at the end of last year, she knew that she needed him at her side for her plans to work. She would use potions, spells, or any other ways necessary to gain control over him, but the first thing she needed to do was to get close to him and his friends. That's what she was aiming to do now, but she needed her friends on board, first.

"We've tried to get support from the other Slytherin's over the past year, but with no luck," Daphne told them with sigh, "As I'm sure you've seen, Nott, Malfoy, and his bint, Parkinson, can do whatever they want because of who their families are. I hate to admit it, but our current plan to take over the Slytherin house isn't very likely to work, so we need a new one. Without a better family name involved, we're all screwed in more ways than one. That's where Potter comes in."

"But why Potter?" Blaise wondered, "I'll give it to you that he's powerful, and that he's both the Boy-Who-Lived alongside being the Potter Heir, which I would like to point out he doesn't wear his heir ring, so he might not even know about that, but that's not enough. Potter alone won't be able to help us unless you know something that we don't. I say we're better by ourselves."

"I agree with Blaise, Daph," Tracey supported her friend with a sigh, "Unless you've got an ace up your sleeve, we're better by ourselves."

"Do you think I would suggest this if I didn't have something planned? I'm a Slytherin, after all," Daphne feigned being wounded by her friends' lack of faith, "Blaise, I think you're right when you guessed that Potter is ignorant of his position... or should I say positions," her friends raised an eyebrow at this revelation, "Yes, plural, as in 'more than one.' Do you think I wouldn't do my research before deciding to side with Potter? He was raised by Muggles - if the stories are to be believed - so it's very possible he's unwillingly ignorant. He couldn't have known to ask about the Potter heir ring, let alone the other rings."

Her friends nodded, picking up her train of thought, and realizing it would explain a lot of Potter's actions.

"Anyway," Daphne continued, "from what I found out, his father's mother was none other than Dorea Potter nee Black, from the main Black family line. So unless Sirius Black, Potter's godfather, has a son soon, Potter will become the next Lord Black - not Malfoy, despite what he keeps telling people. The way I see it, unless Black gets out of Azkaban, which is _very _unlikely, and has a son in the next few years - if the Dementor exposure didn't make him sterile after this long, as it's known to happen - Potter will become the next Lord Black. So, being Lord Potter AND Black, he'll have enough power to protect us from people like Malfoy completely." She saw her friends smile at this, the Potters and the Blacks were two of the most powerful families, dating all the way back to the Founders. Not even Malfoy could claim that.

When they looked at Daphne once again, they saw a smirk that said that she decided to save the best for last. "Okay, what's that smirk about?" Tracey demanded, "It's that damnable 'I know something you don't' look."

"You're right, Trace. I looked more into Potter family history to see if there is anything else that could be useful. It seems that Potter is related to one of the very first known wizards in England - the Peverells."

"_You're kidding me!" _said Blaise and Tracey together in shock.

Their shock was understandable; the Peverell line was thought to have been lost centuries ago with the passing of the last known Peverell who, despite his long life, had no known heirs.

"I was shocked when I found out about this myself," Daphne admitted to her friends, "but with all these titles, no one would dare touch him or those under his protection. Going to him is the wisest idea we have as long as we can teach him what he needs to know, which isn't much of a price to pay."

"Alright, I'll admit, I'm sold on this plan," Blaise said, raising his hands in surrender, "I just don't like the idea of going to a Gryffindor for help... So how are we going to confront Potter? After what Malfoy and the other Slytherins have done and said to him, I can't imagine he'll be too eager to trust us."

"It'll be hard, that much is obvious," Daphne admitted, "But I think we can do it. Like you said, he doesn't have his heir rings on, so I think we can get to him through that. We can tell him about it, and teach him the things he would need to get along in our world."

"So when are you planning to talk to him?" Tracey asked.

"I don't know, Trace. Hopefully soon," Daphne stated. Tracey clapped her hands together, as if to dispel the somber mood.

"Well, as a last resort, we can always just ask to join that study group of his, though it seems a bit… pedestrian. That aside," Tracey grinned mischievously, "Blaise, any hits on the old gaydar recently?"

Blaise smirked, "More than you'd expect. Shame the majority are Pureblood. I have standards!" he exclaimed with a haughty look and a sniff, eliciting giggles from his friends. Topics were much less grim for the rest of the ride.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the fifth part of The Serpent's Lair Saga, I would like to thank you once again for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and take a few moments to review. I also hope you read all of this note, as I would like your feedback on some things to help me out in the story.

Once again, I would like to admit right now that this wasn't how I wanted the chapter. This time it wasn't because of how I wrote the chapter. but this time it was because I felt that there should be more to this chapter. I couldn't think of anything else to add, so I ended it where I did.

Just so you know, this will be the last chapter of Vulcan for a while; after I complete the next chapter of my new story, _The Dragon Overlord_, I'll be working on two other stories: one or two chapters of _Animagus Mishap_, a few chapters of _Harrison Slytherin and the Dark Desires_. After that, I'll be working to catch the side-story for _Vulcan up to this story and proceed to _where the Abyss is destroyed, so if you want to learn more about the Mystics, please read the side-story, as it'll explain their purpose and origins better than the main story.

A few question I would like your thoughts on:

_**Should I have the basilisk killed at the end of the saga or not? I say it is more useful **__**to kill it for**__** the money, but I would like to hear your thoughts about it. I'll go with the most outspoken thoughts. (Poll is up so you can vote on my profile and in reviews. I'll leave the poll up for about two/three chapters before I post the results.)**_

_**During second year, what pranks should Harry and the twins pull? I hope you can help with this, as I'm **__**looking for ideas for both **__**magical and non-magical ones. **__**Right now, **__**I'm looking for a prank that the Weasley Twins could pull on Harry **__**to **__**start a prank war between the three of them. Any ideas **__**would be appreciated**__**.**_

_**It might be early, but I would like to ask for a new title for the third year saga, it needs to be eighteen characters **__**or less,**__** including spaces. I hope that you can help me. It'll be the year that not only does Sirius escape Azkaban, but Lucy is 'born' and Harry goes to the Overlord's Tower. **_

Just as a reminder, flame reviews from guests that aren't helpful will be removed. If they point out a problem that needs to be fixed, or ideas that I could use to make the story better, I'll keep them, but keep it constructive. Please consider this when reviewing, as I don't want you to waste your time (or mine) on unhelpful flame reviews.

I would like to announce (for those that don't have alerts for my new stories) that I have posted a new story. This one is a Fairy Tail/Overlord story where Natsu is the Overlord. I won't say much, as I want you to read it for yourself, but it is an Evil/Harem/Powerful/Natsu. 'll be working on it's latest chapter next as I wait for ideas.

That said, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter. Feel free to offer up any ideas you might have for future chapters, and any powers you would like to see used in the story.

_**Next on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ In the next chapter, we'll witness the sorting ceremony!


	25. Chapter 22 - The Serpent's Lair: Part 6

_**Chapter Twenty-Two...**_

_**The Serpent's Lair - Part 6!**_

_**(Return to Hogwarts.)**_

It was hours later when the Hogwarts Express finally reached Hogsmeade Station. Throughout the trip, Harry's friends stopped by the compartment to check in, greet them, and chat for a bit; none of them ended up staying for very long. Harry went for a walk half-way through the train ride, and was shocked to find Tonks making out with a girl he didn't recognise. He made a mental note to find a use for this information, but subconsciously he had already made plans for her.

They arrived at Hogsmeade Village to a dark, brisk night, and the warmth of the train was surely missed by all. Harry and his friends swiftly huddled together and followed the rest of the students along the platform and out onto a rough mud track. At least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the arriving students, each pulled by - what he assumed to be - reptilian, _winged_ horses. Their form was free of sinew and flesh, their black coats clinging to their easily-discernible skeletons, and draconic heads, which featured soul-searching, piercing eyes of solid white. Wings sprouted from each side, black and leathery, strikingly similar to that of bats. Standing still and quiet in the gathering gloom, the creatures looked eerie and sinister, and yet Harry could not help but find them somewhat beautiful.

As he looked around, most of the students seemed apathetic to the presence of mysterious creature. Despite the cold, Harry pulled his friends along as he walked up to the beings and began to stroke them.

"I thought the older students said these stagecoaches were horseless. When did they get these beasts? And what are they, for that matter?"

Hermione nodded in agreement, wondering much the same, herself. Su and Susan seemed to know what they were, but were not fully sure about it.

Su look at Susan and asked, "Thestrals?"

"I think so," Susan confirmed, nodding slowly, "but I didn't know they had any at Hogwarts. Some say they're really, _really_ bad luck."

"What are Thestrals?" Harry asked as he looked away from the creature.

"Oh no, that's just superstition," came a familiar voice from behind them. They turned to see Fred and George. "They aren't bad luck or a bad omen. In fact, they're dead clever and useful!" Fred complemented.

"Sadly, they're only used to pull the school carriages, though," George noted, glumly, "It's tradition, probably. Though I can't imagine what else they would do. Thestrals are amazingly powerful war mounts, but we're not exactly at war right now."

"They only get a bad reputation because people can only see them after they've seen death." Fred revealed, changing topics after a thoughtful silence. "After seeing Quirrell die last year, we're not surprised you lot can see 'em."

"How do you know about them?" Harry asked in shock. As far as he knew, the twins were only interested in pranks.

"It might surprise you -" Fred smiled mysteriously.

"- but we do have interests other than pranks…" George said, mimicking his brother's smile before the identical boys hopped into a stagecoach with their friend, Lee.

Harry and the girls blinked in shock, apparently they did not know the twins as well as they thought they did, but decided to put the issue to the back of their minds - they were cold and wanted to reach the warm, familiar atmosphere of the great hall as quickly as possible. After seeing Melody off into a boat with Anastasia, Harry and the girls climbed inside the carriage and shut the door. The Thestrals set off, the coach bumping and swaying up the long trail.

The carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought-iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars. Hermione had forced as much of her upper body through the carriage's tiny window as she could, watching the many towers and turrets draw nearer, all the while tossing out random facts she'd read about in _Hogwarts: A History_ and other Hogwarts-centric books every so often. At last, the carriage swayed to a halt and they got out.

Once they had all disembarked, the five of them joined the rest of the returning students on the remaining trek to the castle, through the giant oak front doors, and into the cavernous, torch-lit, entrance hall and its magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors. The echoes of footsteps from the students crossing the flagstone floor filled the air as they made their way to the start-of-term feast.

The four long house tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the clear, starry night being shown through the ceiling and the high windows. Candles floated in mid-air all along the tables, adding an extra layer of illumination to the silvery ghosts dotted about the hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other houses, and eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes. For some of the students entering third and fourth year, it was also time to check out their fellow students' bodies; Susan was certainly getting a fair amount of attention as her robe did little to hide the fact that the breast fairy had paid her a prosperous visit.

After splitting up, Harry, Ember, and Hermione took their seats along the Gryffindor table. The three found seats together about halfway down the table, near the Weasley twins, with the Crimson Vixens sitting not far away. As Harry looked around, he was shocked to see that Ron wasn't at the table.

"So where is Ron? Didn't think I'd see the day he missed a feast." He asked the twins, not particularly caring.

"Not sure…" Fred said as he glanced around for his youngest brother.

"… Couldn't find him on the train," George added.

The group decided to pass the time by theorizing all the possible reasons for Ron's absence, each one as ridiculous as the last: Ron had tripped and fallen and could not get up; his metabolism had suddenly caught up with him and he bloated to the size of a small car from all the food he had eaten; the cart lady from the Express had kidnapped him and was experimenting with new candies on him. It was a great way to pass the time, and even some of the students nearby piped in occasionally.

It was not long before Harry's attention had been caught by Hagrid, who had just appeared behind the staff table. The half-giant worked his way along to the very end and took his seat. A few seconds later, the doors to the entrance hall opened, and a long line of frightened first-years entered, led by Professor McGonagall. The Deputy Headmistress was carrying a stool supporting an ancient wizard's hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim.

Harry was surprised to note that the sorting hat sang a different song. The message was the same: it's better to be united than driven apart by your differences; then it proceeded to list the houses' differences. It wasn't long before the Hat stopped its song, and Harry knew he would have to wait. He sat and watched the first years get sorted; the first few were of no interest to him, although there was a young boy who ended in Gryffindor that gave him the cheeps, Colin Creevey. He was a short boy, with mousy brown hair and brown eyes, when he set eyes on Harry, he was starry eyed, and sent a shiver down Harry's spine. It looked like he was a big time fan boy, something Harry didn't want. Harry was just glad that Creevey sat so far down the table, far away from him. After Creevey, it wasn't until Melody's name was called that he began taking note of things. He hoped that the hat would sort her into Gryffindor.

_**o0OoO0o**_

"_Hmm, what do we have here?" _Melody heard in her head as she donned the hat.

"_Who's there?_ _Who's in my head?" _Melody demanded.

"_It is I, the Sorting Hat," _the voice of the Sorting Hat said with a chuckle, _"Oh, you're quite like the one you call 'master;' at least you don't desire to model yourself after beings of pure evil, though knowing this, you wouldn't care and would still follow him. Loyalty that should be admired - or maybe feared? Not often I see a girl with a fetish for evil. Last was that Metamorph girl, though she had no idea she possessed it…"_

The Hat sighed before continuing, _"But I'm getting off topic. Where should I place you? To learn new Mystic powers and skills shows you have the ambition for Slytherin," _the hat chuckled when he thought of Harry and how he would react to such a thing, _"Potter would probably set me aflame if I put you in the 'snake pit'. Try to, anyway. You're loyal to your family and your Master, and you're a hard worker, too; you would do well in Hufflepuff. It helps that you know two people in the house already, and consider them friends. Though you're not as brave as your sister, you would do well in Gryffindor, but I think Ravenclaw will serve you the best. It would help you and your Master, as you could learn how to make these powers you want to work,"_ the hat bargained.

The Sorting Hat could not place a student unwillingly, as long as that student was consciously aware that they had a choice. If they were dead-set on a particular house, there was little it could do. This was a failsafe in place for safety reasons so - to use a modern situation - a Muggleborn would be protected from being placed in the modern day Slytherin house, even if they were ambitious enough for it.

This was unknowingly exploited by a number of people, Slytherins being the most common. It had come to be known as the 'legacy system,' sometimes called the 'choice system.' Its exploitation completely perverted the intentions of the house system; barely any of the current Slytherins belonged there. In the Sorting Hat's opinion, there was no Slytherin house anymore - not a solid group, at least. Almost every one of the real Slytherins were spread out among the other houses by this point.

"_No!" _Melody snapped, _"I want to be with my sister and Master. Place me in Gryffindor."_

"_I think you underestimate how useful Ravenclaw could be for you. The Gryffindor Head of House is too swamped with work delegated to her by the Headmaster to be a true Head of House, but Professor Flitwick is a very attentive man. He would be delighted to help you create a new branch of magic,"_ the enchanted cloth insisted. Melody shook her head.

"_You're under the impression we want help. We __**want **__to do this ourselves. If we depend on others, then they'll know what we're doing. That really defeats the purpose of a trump card, doesn't it?"_

The Sorting Hat sighed, knowing this girl would exploit the failsafe and the power to choose her own house. No argument he made, no matter how effective, would sway her on this. "_Stubborn children. You think you'll be able to do all of this on your own? That you will require no aid from those more experienced? You will willfully choose what is of little use, all to prove and validate your existence. May you uncover what you seek."_

"_It better be… _GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat proclaimed, bellowing the last word for all to hear. Harry and Hermione clapped the loudest, but all of Harry's friends who knew who Melody were clapping and cheering as the happy first-year walked over to them and squeezed in between her sister and master.

As Harry watched the next few people getting Sorted, the name that caught his interest was Holly Halliwell, the Holy Mystic from Mystic Island. Upon seeing the green-eyed, redhead girl, Harry's immediate thought was, _'What on Earth __is __she doing here?'_ as he suspected that if she was here, it didn't bode well for him or his plans.

_**o0OoO0o**_

"_Hmm, another Mystic. But no normal Mystic - a Holy Knight,"_ the Hat commented with interest.

"_So this is how you sort us? You read the child's mind to see where they fit the most," _Holy mused.

"_It is, child," _the Hat confirmed to the young Mystic, _"and I have to say, you are one of the few who figured this out on their own. Now let's see... hmm... so that's why you are here - you're meant to keep an eye on __**him**__. I can't tell you much because of the magic that governs me, but I can tell you this, young one: you have your work cut out for you."_

"_I__'m aware__," _Holly told the Sorting Hat, _"but I have to make sure he isn't a threat to __our __world."_

The Hat wanted nothing more than to say something, but his enchantments prevented him from divulging the secrets of others, unless the person who he was sorting already knew. Instead he settled for saying, _"An admirable goal. Do watch yourself, I wish you all the best, young Holy Knight, __but back to your sorting.__ I know __just where __to put someone __so honourable, loyal, and__ hardworking,' _the hat paused before continuing out loud, "Better be Hufflepuff!"

Harry wasn't sure what was going on, but he would have to warn his friends in Hufflepuff not to say too much about him. He knew he would have to make up a reason, but he would think of something. For now, he continued watching the rest of the sorting. It was the similar to when he was sorted; some took no time to sort, while others took a moment or two.

After the surnames eventually entered the L's, the first name that got his interest was Anastasia Lestrange.

_**o0OoO0o**_

"_Hmm, a Lestrange... Haven't had one of you in years,"_ the Sorting Hat told the young girl before carrying on with a sigh, _"Why is it that there's another heading down the __path of darkness__? There seem to be a few lately." _

Anastasia was shocked to hear this, but immediately began wondering who the others were and how she could recruit them. The Sorting Hat started laughing in her head.

"_You poor, foolish girl. You might think you have power to rule the world, but next to __**him**__ you are nothing."_

"_You mean my father?" _asked Anastasia.

"_Please… The Dark Lord is but a peon grasping at power alien to him," _the Hat lectured the young girl. _"The one you need fear, is unseen. The facade you will become familiar with, will disarm you. Leaving you vulnerable. Weak. Unsuspecting. I only have one adage to offer: 'Know your role.'"_

Anastasia had to wonder who the _'he' _in questionwas, as he sounded like someone she needed to gain control over somehow. Hecould be very useful to her plans, but at the same time, he could be a danger. She knew from what her mother told her that the Sorting Hat wouldn't say much due to the founders' safeguards. All she knew at the moment is that whoever _he _was, _he _was still at Hogwarts.

As she was thinking things over, she heard the hat say, _"Just so you know, dear child, watch your step. Your plans won't be easy to achieve. Anyway… _better be Slytherin!" the last part was said aloud so Anastasia never had a chance to reply.

_**o0OoO0o**_

There were mixed reactions when Anastasia was sorted into the snake pit. Some cheers erupted from the Slytherin table, but dark looks were cast her way from others. The main person who was giving her a dark, baleful look was Neville Longbottom, for some reason unknown to Harry. He decided he would look into it later on; it was something he might be able to use. Harry himself remained neutral, not even offering a friendly clap, as he knew it would give him problems he didn't need for being civil towards a Slytherin.

The next interesting new student was right after Anastasia, another female named Luna Lovegood. When her name was called, the young girl wandered up to the stool with her naturally wide eyes on the ceiling the whole time. McGonagall tried to place the hat on her head, but Luna snatched it out of the woman's hands and turned it around to face her.

"Hello Mr. Hat," Luna greeted.

The hat chuckled, a large grin splitting the seams that made up its mouth. "So much like your mother, Ms. Lovegood. How is she?"

"She is fine, Mr. Hat," Luna said happily, "She sends her greetings."

"Thank you, Ms. Lovegood," it replied, "Ravenclaw, I take it?"

Luna nodded, smiling widely with pride. "Oh, yes please; that would be lovely!"

"Then so be it. Please send my regards to your mother," the hat requested. Luna nodded eagerly before hopping off the stool and handing the hat back to Professor McGonagall.

An amused McGonagall took the hat from the Lovegood heiress and allowed the girl to skip over to her table.

Harry zoned out for the next few names until the familiar 'Weasley' name was called. Ginny was the fourth-to-last name to be called, meaning she was already incredibly nervous after having watched nearly every other first year go through the process. What really pushed her over the edge, though, was when she glanced over at the Gryffindor table to look to her brothers for support and ended up meeting Harry's intense, green-eyed gaze. Her legs turned to jelly, her ankles seemed to twist together, and Ginny Weasley tripped and fell right in front of the entire school.

Harry promptly lost interest as her fangirl-ness made itself readily apparent, although he did consider how he could use that to his advantage. Ember and the Weasley sons were all still heavily invested in her sorting.

_**o0OoO0o**_

"_Hmm, another Weasley," _Ginny heard the Sorting Hat say in her head. By now, she worked out what was going on and wasn't particularly startled, _'You're like your twin brothers: __very difficult__ to sort.'_

'_Why is that?" _asked the young girl, _"Just sort me into Gryffindor with the rest of my family."_

"_Fred and George were both smart, brave, and cunning, just like you," _the Sorting Hat explained to the first female Weasley in generations, _"And like them, you fit in three of the four houses here. Are you sure you want to go into Gryffindor? You can stand out from the rest of your family, make a name for yourself," _the hat was trying to keep another girl from Potter, but it knew that there was nothing it could do should the young girl be serious about becoming a Gryffindor.

"_I don't want to be away from my family, and I have a friend in the house already, so I want to be with them," __Ginny confirmed the hat's fears._

The Sorting Hat sighed silently, knowing that there was no way to prevent the young girl from going to Gryffindor. To be stolen, was her destiny.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

_**o0OoO0o**_

The twins' cheers were deafening, and Ember wasn't far behind them. Ginny, blushing heavily at friends and family cheering her on, took a seat about two dozen people away from Harry and proceeded to spend most of the feast staring at him before turning away and blushing yet again. Harry was glad that she wasn't seated next to him, as he didn't think he could deal with the way she was acting right now.

With the last first-year sorted, was a Ravenclaw by the name of Harrison Yeaw, the feast began. The feast itself was surprisingly uneventful. Dumbledore made a speech, welcoming everyone back and introducing the newest addition to the staff at Hogwarts. Lockhart made a big show of accepting the cheers from the majority of the females inhabiting Hogwarts.

After the feast, they were escorted back to their common rooms for the evening by Percy Weasley. Once they got to the tower, Melody wanted a full tour of both the girls and boys dorms. Percy refused to allow her into the male dorms, saying that it was inappropriate. Harry just scoffed at this; Hermione, more often than not last year, had come up to his dorms to wake him up. The other boys in his year knew about this and were even grateful for it, since it woke them up on time, too.

Musings aside, Harry smiled at what Melody was trying to do. He had no trouble figuring out why she wanted to see the boys dorms: she wanted to know exactly which bed he slept in. He would show her later, unless Hermione came up to his room some time tomorrow like she normally did.

The only other eventful thing that happened was the rumour of Ron Weasley flying a car to school being proven true. The portal had closed on him, so he decided to take his dad's flying car. Everyone seemed to be impressed at this, though the trio had shook their heads. They hoped these fifteen minutes of fame would mellow Ron out. It was unlikely, but they could hope. They each promised to never do anything stupid, since they heard that about a dozen Mundanes had seen him. One by one, though, they slowly slipped away and went to bed, allowing Ron his time.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the sixth part of The Serpent's Lair Saga, I would like to thank you once again for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and take a few moments to review. I also hope you read all of this note, as I would like your feedback on some things to help me out in the story.

Starting off, I would like to admit that this wasn't how I wanted this chapter to go. I felt that there should be more, but couldn't think of what to add after the sorting.

A few question I would like your thoughts on:

_**Should I have the basilisk killed at the end of the saga or not? I say it is more useful to kill it for the money, but I would like to hear your thoughts about it. I'll go with the most outspoken thoughts. (Poll is up so you can vote on my profile and in reviews. I'll leave the poll up for about two/three chapters before I post the results.)**_

_**What pranks should Harry and the twins pull **__**this year**__**? I'm looking for ideas for both magical and non-magical ones. Right now, I'm looking for a prank that the Weasley Twins could pull on Harry to start a prank war between the three of them. Any ideas would be appreciated.**_

_**It might be early, but I would like to ask for a title for the third year saga, it needs to be eighteen characters or less, including spaces. I hope that you can help me. It'll be the year that not only does Sirius escape Azkaban, but Lucy is 'born' and Harry goes to the Overlord's Tower.**_

Just as a reminder, flame reviews from guests will be removed. If they point out a problem that needs to be fixed, or ideas that I could use to make the story better, I'll keep them, but keep it constructive. Please consider this when reviewing, as I don't want you to waste your time (or mine) on unhelpful flame reviews.

I would like to announce (for those that don't have alerts for my new stories) that I have posted a new story. This one is a Fairy Tail/Overlord story where Natsu is the Overlord. I won't say much, as I want you to read it for yourself, but it is an Evil/Harem/Powerful/Natsu. I'll be working on it's latest chapter next as I wait for ideas.

That said, I would like to thank you once again for reading, and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter. Feel free to offer up any ideas you might have for future chapters, and any powers you would like to see used in the story.

_**Next on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ The students get settled into their first full day back at Hogwarts, and Harry meets with the Headmaster.


	26. Chapter 23 - The Serpent's Lair: Part 7

_**( . v . ) **_= Lime.

_**Chapter Twenty-Three**_

_**The Serpent's Lair - Part 7!**_

_**(First Day Back.)**_

_2nd of September:_

It was Sunday morning, and whilst everyone was having a lay-in, Harry woke up early to start running with Melody, Ember, and Aneira. Harry and Mel had begun exercising over the summer holidays, with Hermione occasionally joining them. While she saw it as a good idea, it wasn't something she enjoyed doing, or that she could easily get behind - unlike books. She did see the benefit, however, and joined the pair a few times a week to keep fit.

Their run, as usual, yielded little of interest, though they did see Hagrid entering the Forbidden Forest - most likely to take care of the animals within. After the run, while Ember went on to clean up, Melody briefly pulled Harry into a small alcove to suck him off once, not minding that he was sweaty from the activity. One enjoyable release later, Harry and Melody made their way to get cleaned up before going to Great Hall for breakfast. They caught up to Hermione and Ember along the way, the two girls chatting about classes. When they got into the Great Hall, they found the Weasley twins in the midst of a brainstorming session with Lee, so they sat by themselves. Ember went off to talk to Ginny, who was at the end of the table, watching Harry.

Sadly, it was an actual rule that the students could not go to another table to eat until they got their class schedule. The trio accepted the rule easily enough, recognizing the ease it added to the Heads of House while distributing the schedules. The second everyone had their schedules, their friends came over to talk about what classes they had together.

Harry learned during these talks that Ron had crashed into the Whomping Willow, and damaged not only the tree, but his wand, as well. Both Harry and the Granger sisters thought Ron was an idiot for his impulsiveness. He should have used the Floo, as they had, or waited for his parents to return. As they were talking, Ron had entered the Great Hall and sat next to them, not saying anything.

"Hey, Harry. Hey, Hermione," Ron greeted them with a smile, "Hermione, I know I was being a prat last year. I was jealous. Harry had his powers, and you, you got your brain, and then there was me, plain old Ron. I had nothing, and because of that, I acted like a git. What I'm trying to say is that I am sorry, I apologized to Harry this summer, and well, I'm apologizing to you, too."

Hermione looked at Harry, wanting to know the truth and hoping for some guidance.

"It's true," Harry shrugged, "I accepted, but he knows what'll happen if he crosses the line again."

She looked between Ron and Harry, wondering why Harry would have accepted Ron's apology. Apologizing was uncharacteristic of Ron, and it couldn't have been easy for Harry to forgive him, either.

"I still have some issues I'm trying to work out, but I'm hoping to get another chance to be your friend," the redhead admitted, shocking many of those around them.

"Hmm, if Harry accepted your apology, so will I," Hermione told her former best friend, before warning him, "Don't make the same mistake, Ronald."

"I understand. I'll try my best to behave," Ron said with a smile before he tucked into his breakfast.

Melody had joined them, and Hermione introduced her sister to Ron as the mail arrived. Neville had gotten a package with things that he forgot to bring from home, much to his embarrassment.

"_Errol!_" Ron cried, pulling the bedraggled family owl out by the feet from the bowl of mashed potatoes he'd crashed into. Errol slumped, unconscious, falling to the table. His legs were in the air, and a damp, red envelope was in his beak.

"Oh no," Ron gasped.

"It's all right, he's still alive… I think…" Hermione announced as she prodded Errol gently with the tip of her finger a few times.

"It's not that - it's _that_," Ron's voice filled with dread as he pointed towards the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary to Harry and the girls, but Ron and Neville were both looking at it as though they expected it to explode.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked.

"She's... she's sent me a howler," Ron muttered faintly.

"You'd better open it, Ron," Neville spoke up in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and…" he gulped, "It was horrible."

Harry looked from their petrified faces to the red envelope.

"What's a howler?" he asked, wondering what the big fuss was about. Even as Maverick, he had not come across such a thing.

Ron failed to answer his friend, his attention fixed solely on the letter which had begun to smoke at the corners.

"Open it," Neville urged, "It'll all be over in a few minutes."

Ron stretched out a shaking hand and eased the envelope from Errol's beak before sliting it open. Neville stuffed his fingers in his ears. A split second later, Harry knew why; he thought for a moment it _had _exploded, given the roar of sound that filled the huge hall and shook dust from the ceiling.

"_**\- STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE -"**_

Mrs. Weasley's yells made the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls. People throughout the hall were swiveling around to see who had received the Howler, and Ron sank so low in his chair that only his crimson forehead could be seen.

"_**\- LETTER FROM PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME! WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS! ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED - YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!"**_

A ringing silence fell as the red envelope dropped from Ron's hand and burst into flames. Ron sat there, stunned. A few people laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk broke out again.

Hermione closed _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2_ which she had been reading and looked down at the top of Ron's head.

"Are you alright, Ronald?" Hermione asked softly. She may not have forgiven him for last year, but that didn't mean he deserved to bear the embarrassment of a howler in front of the entire Great Hall.

"I-I'll be fine, Hermione," Ron whimpered, "Just… Just need some time."

"Ron, why didn't you use the Floo in the platform's waiting room? I thought that being raised in the Wizarding World, you would have known about it."

"I didn't know about it," Ron admitted sheepishly, "If I did, I would have."

Everyone was shocked that Ron didn't snap at her, and once again wondered what happened to him over the summer. Before anything could be said, Professor McGonagall came along, handing out their course schedules. Seeing it was a Sunday, Harry put the schedule into his pocket to read later. He got to his feet. planning to see his Hufflepuff friends, but Professor McGonagall suddenly said, "Mr. Potter, Professor Dumbledore would like to talk you after breakfast."

"Do you know why, Professor?" Harry inquired.

"I do not, sorry." Professor McGonagall admitted, "I can escort you to his office after you're finished with breakfast."

"Thank you, Professor. I'll see you soon."

"I wonder what that was about?" Hermione wondered as her favourite Professor walked to the head table. Harry shook his head.

"I have no idea. Aside from the train incident with Draco, I haven't done anything warranting a visit with the Headmaster. I doubt Draco would tell anyone about it anyway, since he ran away with his tail between his legs," Harry reasoned.

_**o0OoO0o**_

About half an hour later, Harry had finished his breakfast and met with McGonagall, asking once they were out of the Great Hall, "So, am I in trouble for something?"

"Not from what I can tell. Why? Have you done something to warrant paranoia?" McGonagall wondered back. Harry grinned in response and decided he may as well be honest.

"Don't know. Sort of, I think. On the Express, Malfoy paid me his traditional visit, called my friends sluts, whores, Mudbloods, and blood traitors, before I reminded him that there were six of us and three of them. You know, nothing out of the ordinary," He snarked.

"Take ten points for standing up for your friends with a cool head. I believe that shall be fifty points from Slytherin for offensive language and behaviour," the older woman all but growled, her expression furious as she continued staring straight forward. The rest of the journey was silent as they made their way towards the Headmaster's Office.

When they arrived, it looked like his Head of House was going to leave after giving the password to the stone guardian, so Harry spoke up.

"May I request you sit in on the meeting? I'm not sure what the Headmaster wants, but it would be nice having someone I can rely on if Malfoy did actually whine to Snape about what happened. I'm sure his story would be wildly different than my own. Even if it isn't, I don't want the Headmaster to be blinded and take action; I know you're good at making him see reason."

Her face darkened for an instant before she schooled it, but Harry knew he had chosen his words correctly.

"Of course, Mister Potter," she said calmly as Harry began following her up the spiral staircase.

_**o0OoO0o**_

No matter how many times that Harry would come to see the bloody Headmaster, he would always be shocked to hear the Headmaster tell them to enter. Not only did he know they were at the door without them knocking, but he also knew it was them. In this case, since he had arranged the meeting, it was easy to guess it was Professor McGonagall and Harry. But what if it was someone else who came to see him? Harry would love to know what kind of wards or magic the Headmaster had in place, as it would be useful at his club.

As he was examining the room, he heard McGonagall say, "I've brought Mr. Potter, Headmaster."

"Thank you, Minerva," the Headmaster said with a grandfatherly smile, "You may go."

"Mr. Potter asked me to stay. Just like last year, he wanted me here as an advisor, so I will be standing in on this meeting and fulfilling my duty as his Head of House," McGonagall said officially.

"And to be honest, Headmaster, I would prefer that she does," Harry stated, "Especially if Professor Snape is staying. As far as I know, I've done nothing wrong."

"Why, you arrogant brat - just like your father... You do not decide who has a right to be here," Snape sneered at him without hesitation.

"Actually, Severus, he's well within his rights to ask you to leave, since judging by the lack of a Slytherin student in this room, I can only assume you serve no purpose here in a professional capacity, and will only interrupt this meeting every time Mr. Potter speaks to show the rest of us just how petty you are," Minerva intervened, glaring at the sallow-faced man. She must still be angry by what Harry had told her, it seemed, to attack the man so blatantly.

"That might be true, Minerva, but I've asked Severus to be here." Dumbledore explained. What he intentionally neglected to tell her was that he wanted Severus' help to cast a few spells on Harry to regain control of him, and make sure no more of his plans were ruined. With Minerva here at the request of the young Potter, though, that course of action was currently on hold. Part of the Headmaster believed Potter intended this, as the boy might have suspected beforehand and had his Head of House here. Regardless, the Headmaster would not be stopped from finding out where the boy had gone off to, so with a grandfatherly smile he inquired, "Now Harry, can you tell me where you were this summer?"

"No offence, sir, but why are you concerned with my summer activities?" Harry asked politely, "You're my headmaster, and that's a fairly personal question to be asking for the relationship we have."

"Why you rude, arrogant - " Snape started building up steam, but was stopped by a look from McGonagall.

"Severus, Albus might have asked you to be here, but unless you have something useful to contribute, be silent," the Gryffindor Head nearly snarled, her normally-calm façade cracking under the constant barrage of reminders that her co-worker was a downright horrible human being. She seamlessly changed the subject. "Mr. Potter is right again, Albus. You have no authority over him outside of Hogwarts grounds. "

Albus mentally sighed at this; this wasn't going the way he wanted - not at all.

"I might be his headmaster, but I'm also his magical Guardian, and as such it is my job to make sure he is safe. I went to his home to check in on him, but I found that the Dursleys weren't there, and you never returned to them." 

"May I ask why you care where I was?" Harry countered coolly, "You may be my magical guardian, but you've never been there before, so why bother now? I can handle my own affairs."

"Harry you need to stay at the Dursley's for your own protection," Dumbledore said with a sigh.

"Some protection," Harry growled, "What did it protect me from? It sure as hell wasn't my family."

Unknown to Harry, McGonagall gave Dumbledore a dark look, but remained silent in front of Harry. She pointedly neglected to reprimand Harry for his abrasive attitude, which was all Dumbledore needed to know about her feelings, even if he had missed the look.

"From Death Eaters, Harry. Voldemort's followers," Dumbledore added with another sigh. He had not wanted to say anything, but if he wanted the boy back with the Dursleys, another half-truth would be needed. "I've put wards up around your home to protect you and your family from magical attacks. As long as you think of it as home, the wards will protect you all, but you must remain there for a few weeks - a month at most - every year to recharge them. At the moment, they are weak, and they'll fall if not recharged soon. That's why this Christmas, you'll have to go back to recharge the wards." 

In truth, all the wards did was siphon Harry's magic to fuel the standard plethora of wards designed to keep magicals out. In that sense, it DID sort of do as Albus said it did, but it also weakened Harry while he was in it, making him a prime target for the magically enhanced abuse of his relatives. But with how powerful Harry had become, on top of being a Mystic, the Headmaster realized something went wrong with the wards. He would need to look into the issue at some point.

"I'm sorry Headmaster, but I have other plans for Christmas," Harry announced flatly, "and none of them involve going back to the Dursleys. They are not family to me, and Privet Drive has never been something I ever once considered a home - just a place I was forced to stay."

Harry's growing frustration culminated in one of the devices behind Dumbledore, a weakly chugging chimney-like tube, giving an almost silent wheeze as it finally stopped working.

The intent ward connected to Harry - -and holding the ward scheme together - finally failed as the boy outright denied the information that it needed to keep going. No one but Dumbledore noticed this, and the man was not happy about it; the sound informed him that the wards around the Dursleys had fallen.

Although he knew this, he still needed Potter to go back to the Dursleys in order to keep him from learning too much. Albus knew it might be too late, but he had to try to prevent the boy from learning too much or growing stronger. It would also let him recast the wards if he could convince Harry to think of the house as home in any way. With a sigh he said, "Harry I must insist that you go. You need to be protected."

"Headmaster, I've been as polite as I can be. If you keep insisting on this matter, I'm afraid I'm going to start becoming difficult," Harry growled in response, "Nothing you say will make me want to go back to those… people. I have several options available to me, and I can hide myself just fine."

Dumbledore sighed once more, accepting that he would be unable to get Harry to change his mind this evening, so he changed tactics. "Can you tell me where you have been?"

Harry was by no means stupid. If he told the truth, Dumbledore would try everything to prevent Harry from staying with the Grangers in the future.

"That would defeat the purpose of hiding, wouldn't it? If there isn't anything else Headmaster, I've got homework to do." He promptly stood up to leave the office.

Snape's face was rapidly approaching Vernon-9 as Minerva's furious stare kept his tongue in check; he could do little but glare at the Potter brat for his arrogance. Dumbledore decided he needed to quickly change tactics and attempt to disperse some of the tension in the room. Appealing to the boy's sense of fun and showing a bit of concern could help begin the process of bringing him back into the fold.

"You're quite right, Harry. Before you go, could you at least tell me if you enjoyed your summer?"

Harry had picked up on the prompt change in the Headmaster's attitude and decided to give him a suitable non-response. Much calmer, he replied, "I did, in fact. I got to see many things and go to many places I had never experienced before. It was possibly the best summer of my life."

Quiet, furious mutterings met his answer before yet another sharp look from Minerva kept the greasy-haired one from mouthing off at the boy.

"Very well, Harry. You may go," Dumbledore dismissed him, hiding his frustration behind a grandfatherly smile.

A thought struck Harry as he got to the door: now that he was back at Hogwarts, there would be those like Draco Malfoy that test his resolve to keep his anger in control, and he needed to do something about it. Turning around, he asked the Headmaster, "Sir, is it possible for you to set up an empty, fireproof classroom for me?"

"Why would you need such a room, my boy?" Dumbledore asked the teen. He had a rough idea, but he wanted Potter to confirm it himself. Though the rest of the meeting didn't go as planned, he might be able to earn some of the young boy's trust - something he needed right now - and was willing to go to great lengths to gain it.

"As you might have heard last year, I'm able to control fire wandlessly," Harry explained to his headmaster, "The reason is that I'm a Fire Elementalist, or as the Mystics might call me, a Fire Mystic." Upon seeing Snape open his mouth, most likely to insult him, Harry summoned a fireball into his hand and threw it at the Potion Master's feet, proving the truth of his tale.

"As you know, Headmaster, Fire Elementalists have more problems than a normal person, especially with controlling their anger."

"I can see the problem, but why would you need a fireproof classroom?" asked Professor McGonagall, "You seem to have good control of your anger at the moment."

"True, I'm able to control my anger at the moment," Harry admitted to his Head of House before continuing with a red face, "but the problem is that I hit puberty during the summer, and I've found that I'm having more and more difficulty controlling my anger. I fear that, should someone upset me and I don't have somewhere to blow off some steam, I might send a fireball at the fool and hurt them."

McGonagall nodded in understanding at the explanation.

"And why should we give you such special treatment, Potter?" Snape spat, "All you need is the right potion to calm your so-called anger - not an entire room."

"What good would that be?" Harry replied, "It might be help for a bit, but taking a potion for too long can lead to addiction. I don't know how long I need them for, and I'd rather not risk it. Besides, what is there to stop you from spiking them with something to put me under yours and Dumbledore's control?"

"That is a very serious accusation, Mr. Potter. While you two may not get along, the headmaster wouldn't dare use potions to control a student." Professor McGonagall chastised him. Albus fixed her with his grandfatherly look as if to thank her for her defence, but Harry wasn't going to be cowed.

"You might not think so, Professor, but I wouldn't put it past him. You've seen the ways they've tried to control me recently. Right now, it's scare tactics, but I wouldn't be surprised if they resorted to potions."

Minerva McGonagall would have liked to have thought otherwise, but she knew deep down that Harry was right. Despite her support for her student, she still believed that the Headmaster wouldn't do such a terrible thing. Harry decided to let the issue rest, not wanting to push too much into his Head of House's indecision.

"Anyway, Headmaster… could you lend me a classroom? I should remind you that this would help remove the strike you earned at the start of my first year."

Seeing McGonagall's confused expression, Harry briefly explained the 'why' and 'how' of his strike system. Snape made a few remarks during the explanation, but was quickly silenced by the slowly-riling witch. She could see why Harry had very little respect for the Headmaster.

From the boy's perspective, it looked like the Headmaster was trying to limit what he could learn. As soon as Harry left the room, she decided, Albus was going to get an earful. To top it all off, what the hell was the old man thinking by sending a half-giant to bring the Boy-Who-Lived back into their world? It was little wonder why Harry felt for the Headmaster as he did.

Recognizing the dangerous situation he had been trapped in, Albus relented. Hopefully granting the boy's request would make the upcoming conversation with his Transfiguration Mistress less terrifying than the look in her eyes implied.

With his grandfatherly smile in place, he said, "I thank you for this chance, and I hope to show you that I'm not the man you think I am. The classroom will be set up and you'll be given the details by the end of the week."

"Thank you, Headmaster."

"Now hop along, my boy. And enjoy the rest of your day; classes start tomorrow." Albus said with a smile.

Harry bid them goodbye and left the office, Albus releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as the boy closed the door behind him. Thankfully the meeting wasn't a complete failure. He hadn't gotten what he wanted, but he had hopefully made progress in getting back into the boy's good graces. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Deep down, he was still fuming at not knowing where his weapon had disappeared to for the summer. He would have to be more careful in the future to ensure Minerva had no reason to be suspicious of him.

Mentally groaning, the headmaster prepared himself for the tirade waiting behind McGonagall's thunderous expression.

_**o0OoO0o**_

Harry spent the rest of the morning walking the grounds with Aneira, frustrated with Dumbledore and - to some extent - himself, as well. Why should the old man start caring now when he never had before? Harry was annoyed at how little he knew of Dumbledore's motives, but he was also frustrated with letting more information slip during the meeting than he wanted to. He knew he should've maintained more control, but something within him always seemed to snap whenever he was near the old man. Instead of projecting that he was on Dumbledore's side, he had the infuriating tendency to do the opposite, something that would endanger his plans in the long run. He had to figure out how to deal with this problem - soon - otherwise, who knows what might happen.

His frustration did not go unnoticed. By lunchtime, when he finally returned to the castle to get something to eat, his friends were waiting to confront him about his brooding. Not wishing to expose the full story, Harry settled with telling them that the Headmaster was attempting to single him out due to his 'Boy-Who-Lived' status, making sure that he was alright. Though it wasn't entirely the truth, it was true enough and easily believable; it was no secret that he disliked getting special treatment due to his moniker.

"So what should we do now?" asked Ember, seeing that they still had an entire afternoon off.

"How about we do some research for tomorrow's class?" Hermione asked the group. A few seats down, Ron was looking horrified at the idea, but he said nothing. The others looked amused at this, though they expected that Hermione would make a suggestion along those lines.

After a short time of no new ideas being tossed out, they decided it seemed like a good idea. Upon looking at his time table to see what he had, Harry was shocked to see it was different than last year. Unlike last year, when classes started at nine o'clock, he found they now started at half eight, and lessons lasted for an hour instead of an hour-and-a-half. Additionally, instead of three class times a day, there were now five - something that horrified many students. But unlike last year, they had two half-hour breaks instead of one fifteen-minute break, and they had an hour-and-a-half for lunch instead of an hour and fifteen minutes. There were about the same amount of classes as last year, but they had one extra potion class, much to their collective disdain. The extra free time, however, more than made up for it.

When they asked one of the older students about the changes, they explained it was to get them ready for next year, as they would need to start at least two new classes. The teachers had implemented the new time table to help the students adjust and to provide them with more time to study and do their homework. While this didn't bother most of them - many seeing it an ideal change - Ron and his friends, Tony and Neville, didn't care much for the changes.

"So, any ideas about what we should look up first?" asked Melody.

"Let's see your timetable," Harry requested and took a second to look it over, "Looks like you got the same timetable as I had last year, so I would say look up theory for Charms, and seeing that I don't know what your other two classes are going to be like, I would suggest theory too."

"What about us?" asked Ember, "What should we look up?"

"Mandrakes for Herbology," Susan told them. Seeing their confused looks, she added, "I asked Professor Sprout earlier what our class would be about, and she told me that the main subject for our class this year was going to be Mandrakes. So we can look up what they are, and what they are used for."

"Hmm, not a bad idea," Hermione looked thoughtfully, "and we can look up second-year theory for Defence and Transfiguration."

While Harry and most of his friends were up for the idea, Ron, Tony, and Neville suddenly found that they had to be elsewhere, and split off from the group as the others made their way to the library.

Melody and Ginny were working on first year theory while Harry and the others were looking up Mandrake. They found out that Mandrake was also known as Mandragora: a plant whose root that looks like a human that ages similarly to the plant. There was a warning that when they are mature, the Mandrake's cry can be fatal to any person who hears it. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad before reaching maturity; the worst it could do was make you pass out or give you a nosebleed.

Harry stumbled across an interesting use for the plant while reading: a Purging Draught, used to clear out harmful potions from the drinker's body. The book Harry referenced had cited loyalty potions, complacency draughts, and suggestive potions as brews that would be targeted and removed. Just reading about potions that could be used to manipulate people fueled his anger and frustration.

Harry suspected that Dumbledore might go so far as to use potions to ensure cooperation. Thinking about why it might be necessary to keep the old man in line only added further fuel to his dark thoughts. Dumbledore had never cared before, despite the abhorrent treatment Harry received at the Dursley's... How was the situation different now? What changed?

No matter how hard Harry tried to push the thoughts to the side, they kept seeping in, causing him to crush multiple quills in frustration. Eventually, a soft hand covered his, distracting him before he destroyed yet another quill. Melody looked at him with concern; it didn't lessen his growing frustration, but it did distract him long enough to finish his work. Deciding to take another walk to keep his frustration under control, Harry packed up his books and went back out onto the grounds.

Harry returned to the castle a few hours later for a late dinner, then joined his friends in the common room for a bit before going to bed, but sleep refused to come. Before he knew it, it was nearly midnight and only himself and a few patrolling Prefects remained awake.

Unable to sleep, Harry read his books for hours, which quickly led to a stiff neck and shoulders from leaning over desks for so long. To try to relax and ease some of the tension, he decided to take a nice, long, hot shower. It worked wonders for his sore back, and really made him aware of how tired he was. After finishing up and towelling off, Harry decided to visit his bed and attempt sleep once again.

He walked back into the boy's dorm and noticed his bed curtain was drawn, and it appeared solid, as opposed to its normal, translucent state. Someone must be in his bed, and they activated the "Lights Out" ward that blocked all light from entering for those picky sleepers who needed total darkness.

Harry was incredibly grateful that the ward also blocked sound, both inside and out, despite the fact that it took him two months of suffering Ron's snoring before he learned of the feature. The ginger apparently did not know, or could not be arsed to activate his. Just remembering those two months caused him to growl at the ponce's inconsiderate behaviour.

"Mel, what are you doing here?" Harry asked in surprise. He wasn't expecting her to sneak into his bed like she did over the summer. Melody was very clearly a nymphomaniac. Still, she was an unexpected surprise to find in his dorm with all the others in the room. He assumed she would wait until they were alone, like they had been this morning, or pull him away for a quick 'chat' so their friends would grant them a bit of privacy.

"You were in such a bad mood today, Master, so I thought I would come to help you relax," Melody said sadly as she threw off Harry's invisibility cloak, which she still had to make occasions like this far less risky than they normally were. "I would have been here sooner, but my sister wanted to make sure I was tucked in. Otherwise, I would have joined you in the shower. So, will you let me help you relax, or do you want me to go back to my room?"

Harry had a brain blast; all the frustration he'd been feeling had no outlet, but now Melody was in his bed and was eager and willing to be that outlet. In the back of his mind, he could swear Lucy was smiling at him.

"On your back. Now," Harry demanded, forgoing their usual banter. His perspective instantly swapped as the girl in bed with him went from his friend to his apprentice, whose current purpose was only to please him.

_**( . v . ) ( . v . ) **_

Melody blinked in surprise at the sudden order, but her body had already twisted around and fell back onto the bed before she could consciously obey his order. A thrill shot up her spine as her peeved-looking Master yanked off his clothes in seconds and crawled up her body. She greedily opened her mouth, preparing her throat for the imminent invasion.

"Not yet," Harry growled as he leaned over and kissed her more roughly than he had ever kissed her before. It was a kiss of frustration - of anger. Everything that had built up in Harry that afternoon and evening was being poured into the passion of the kiss. As he used one hand to pull Melody into the kiss, he used his other hand to savagely finger-fuck her pussy.

Melody moaned wantonly into the kiss, her hands eagerly gripping his shoulder to keep him in place. Ever since puberty hit her, her libido had been in constant overdrive, and no amount of self-pleasure fully satisfied her cravings. She was saved when she met her master; she knew he was the one that would sate her sexual needs ever since he'd first seen her naked butt. The look he sent her for the barest second sent shivers down her spine, and had attracted her initial interest.

And did he ever please her! He was inexperienced at first, but so was she; they learned together. Harry had not quite caught on to exactly how much she liked being roughly used - and even sometimes abused - but she was sure he would notice the signs soon enough. Right now, for instance, she was in heaven as he completely dominated her, his tongue ruling her mouth while his fingers viciously stabbed at her pussy.

"I have such a wet apprentice," Harry commented as he pulled back from the kiss. He grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head back to face him. "Do you like this?" he asked, still fingering her roughly.

"Oh y-yes, Master... I-I do…" Melody said, squirming as an orgasm washed over her, "P-Please use me as you wish, use me, Master. This apprentice is yours to handle as you wish. My pussy and-" She took his hands and placed them on her ass, getting a brief respite from the fingering - enough to catch her breath. It was not much, as Harry did not waste a second before fondling her arse "Ah! My ass is yours, too!"

She moaned in disappointment for a moment as he released her cheeks, only to gasp in surprise as he suddenly latched onto her budding breasts, squeezing them roughly.

Harry was growing incredibly aroused at her submissiveness, and put even more effort in making her moan. He rammed his middle and index finger back into her pussy and curled his fingers in the way he knew made her scream while he simultaneously worked on sucking and fondling her breasts. His efforts pulled a shriek from Melody as her back arched and a full-body shudder passed through her.

"J-Just like… that, Master… use me!" she panted, her tongue not working perfectly and her words coming out slurred. As she was climaxing, Harry had shifted both their positions so she was on her back and he was in the best position to use her throat.

Melody once more moaned in disappointment as her master removed his hands from her breasts. As she opened her eyes to plead with him to keep going, all she could see was his descending shaft. An instant later, his balls were pressed firmly against her nose while his cock tried its damndest to reach her stomach through her throat.

Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, and her pussy started drooling heavily as her master began almost bouncing up and down on her face, repeating cramming every inch of his length as far down her throat as possible. As worked up as he was, and as hard as he was pumping his cock into her throat, it was only a short time before he began to cum.

Her hips jerked as she experience a minor orgasm as Harry pressed his pelvis against her face as hard as he could, grinding his length in as far as it could go. She could feel his shaft almost vibrate before he gave a throaty groan, and the flood began. Swallowing around his cock as it spewed semen straight into her stomach, Melody was happy to note that his moans increased in volume with each contraction of her throat.

Melody suddenly heaved as Harry pulled out at an awkward angle, her master wasting no time in getting to her chest. His slimy cock begin using her budding breasts to get himself off. She transformed, knowing her breasts were larger in her monster form by some quirk of nature. He failed to comment on her change, but his pace did speed up considerably.

Harry growled as the soft hair from Melody's monster form further stimulated his cock; his increased pace coaxed him to higher levels of arousal. Harry gave her breasts a rough squeeze as he sandwiched them around his cock, causing her to moan in pleasure.

Feeding off Melody's moans, he squeezed and thrust harder, bringing both of them to new heights of pleasure; the harder he squeezed, the louder she moaned. Minutes later, his thrusts, her fur, her moans, and his dominance drove him over the edge. Harry exploded all over Melody's breasts, face, and hair. Her immediate reaction was to lean up and engulf the tip of his cock with her mouth and suck down the subsequent spurts of cum. As the flood subsided, Harry fell back to catch his breath. Swallowing the last remnants in her mouth, Melody shuddered in delight as the taste flooded her senses. "Master, you taste so good," she moaned, rubbing her breasts after his violent squeezing of them. "And my breasts... I love how you just mauled them."

Harry watched Melody rub the cum into her fine fur, moaning in delight. The sight brought him back to full mast before he growled, shifting to stand on his knees. He pulled Melody to sit up before grabbing her head, threading his fingers in her hair, and roughly pulling her towards him. Her lips quickly engulfed him as he used his grip to forcefully thrust into her mouth.

His treatment of Melody grew rougher as he felt more stimulated by her mouth and tongue. He looked down, watching her lightning bolt shaped tail swishing back and forth before he got another idea. Releasing her head, he grabbed her tail and pulled.

"Turn around," he commanded. Melody was quick to comply while bemoaning the loss of her mouth being full of her master's tasty cock. His rough tug on her tail forced her arse up into the air, and a quick push dropped her head to the bed.

She was revelling in her master's treatment of her when she felt his hardness slip between her thighs. Her wetness running down her leg made them slick as he plunged himself between her squeezing thighs. His grip on her tail never slackened as he pulled on her hair to aid him in his thrusting.

Melody deeply wished he would just slam himself into her pussy. He never did, but she found it hard to feel annoyed when her exposed clit took the full brunt of his thrust. The stimulation from the veins of his cock caused her thighs to squeeze together even harder.

All in all, it promised to be a very tiring night. She was so glad she "liberated" that book on dirty talk from her mother's stash of trashy romance novels. Who knew it would be this effective?

_**( . v . ) ( . v . ) **_

After a few more hours of her master manhandling her, and an uncounted number of orgasms, Melody found herself beside her master, covered in his cum as he lie fast asleep, holding her. Seeing as any more fun would have to wait for another night, she donned her master's invisibility cloak and returned to her own bed. She wanted to say her stumble was from a sore and overworked pussy, or ass, but her master had not seen fit to bestow that sort of prize upon her yet, so it was simply her own tiredness showing. One lazy and sluggish shower later, she collapsed onto her bed, her dreams filled with her master taking her remaining virginities over and over again.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_3rd of September:_

While everyone was having a lay in, Harry and Aneira woke up early to start running with Melody and Ember. This time Hermione, Susan, and Hannah joined them. Susan was mainly there so she could get her revenge on those who killed her parents when the time came. Harry learned that Susan's aunt had a new arm and was doing well, and should be going back to work soon. Once they finished their exercises, they went to clean up and have breakfast before their first class of the year: Herbology.

As they neared the greenhouses, they saw some of the other students standing outside, waiting for Professor Sprout. Harry, Ember, Hermione, and the others had only just joined them when she came striding into view across the lawn, accompanied by Gilderoy Lockhart. Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages, and Harry noticed the Whomping Willow, had several of its branches in slings. Ron looked away, ashamed at how Professor Sprout was hurt from tending to the tree he damaged.

The squat little Professor Sprout, with her patched hat, flyaway hair, and dirt-covered outfit stood in stark contrast to the immaculate Gilderoy Lockhart, and his golden hair shining under a perfectly positioned turquoise hat that matched his robes.

"Oh, hello there!" he called, beaming at the assembled students. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels…"

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" Professor Sprout cut in. She was looking distinctly disgruntled today - not at all her usual, cheerful self. There was a murmur of interest from the gathered students. They had only ever worked in greenhouse one before; greenhouse three housed far more interesting and dangerous plants. The Herbology professor took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. Harry caught a whiff of damp earth and fertilizer mingling with the heavy perfume of some giant, umbrella-sized flowers dangling from the ceiling. He was about to follow Ron and Hermione inside when Lockhart's hand shot out and caught him by the shoulder.

"Harry! I've been wanting a word - you don't mind if he's a couple of minutes late, do you, Professor Sprout?"

Judging by Professor Sprout's scowl, she did mind, but Lockhart just flashed her a smile and said, "that's the ticket!" and closed the greenhouse door in her face.

"Will this take long, sir?" Harry asked in annoyance, "I have class, and I wouldn't want to upset Professor Sprout."

"Certainly not," Lockhart chirped, "I just wanted to apologize for my actions when we first meet, it was uncalled-for, and I overreacted. I also wanted to introduce myself properly - celebrity to celebrity. You aren't nearly as famous as I am, of course, but then who is?"

Harry had to bite his lip to keep from saying something he shouldn't. Lockhart honestly thought he was more famous than the Boy-Who-Lived. Everyone in the wizarding world knew who Harry was, even if he didn't like the idea of that. But from what he could gather, few knew or cared who Lockhart was aside from a mild following among witches. All he could do was to let Lockhart go on. The man beamed at him, his white teeth glistening unnaturally.

"Anyway, enough of that. I don't want you thinking that I'm some self-important idiot now, do I?" he laughed loudly and looked expectantly at Harry, who straightened his back and raised an eyebrow sardonically - the fool didn't want to be thought a fool. Harry had to force himself not to laugh, as he already _knew _the man was a fool. Lockhart's laugh ended abruptly and he looked uncomfortable for a moment before recovering and beaming at Harry again.

"So you're Harry Potter, eh? The Boy-Who-Lived? Terrible business that, with You-Know-Who killing your family. But then you were only a baby - what could you have done? It's a pity your parents hadn't called me in to protect them, but how could they have known?"

Harry gritted his teeth and glared, his anger was getting to him and needed to go.

"Can I go, professor? I need to get to class."

"Of course, of course," Lockhart agreed as he left to allow Harry to return to class.

Harry took a few deep breaths once Lockhart turned away, trying to control his anger; it was touch-and-go, and the grass around his feet was getting burnt as he tried to keep his calm. Realizing he would likely set the plants alight if he went to class now, he decided to inform the professor and skip the class. He turned around and opened the greenhouse door, calling out, "Professor Sprout, may I have a word out here, please?"

"Is there something a matter, Mr. Potter?" Professor Sprout asked kindly.

"Please, I'll explain out here," Harry told the professor, not wanting the others knowing what was going on. With a nod, the professor agreed and met Harry outside of the greenhouse, where he explained what had just happened.

"That man," Professor Sprout said in disgust at what she heard, "I'm sorry that he said that to you, but what did you want to talk to me out here for?"

"You see, Professor, I would like to skip your class," Harry explained to his Herbology professor.

"Why?" asked Sprout.

"Look at my feet," Harry requested. His Professor, to her shock, noticed the burnt ground around his feet. The area continued to grow as he explained his problem.

"Oh dear," she gasped once she heard about Harry being a Fire Mystic, and the puberty-related problems that came with it, "I understand completely."

"Normally it wouldn't bother me," Harry told Professor Sprout, "but I've had trouble controlling my temper ever since I started puberty. So unless you want to risk me to burning your plants, I need to leave and calm down."

"Of course, of course, dear. I'll tell the class you're not feeling well," his Herbology professor told him with a smile, "I'll send your homework with one of your friends."

"Thanks, Professor."

"No problem, dear. And go and see Madam Pomfrey," Sprout told her student, "she might be able to give you a potion that should help you calm down a bit."

"Thanks, Professor, I'll do that," Harry agreed. The two parted ways: one to teach her students, and the other to see the school Healer.

Madam Pomfrey was shocked to see a student so early in the year, but she understood once Harry explained his reasons. She had meet a few Fire Elementals in her time as a healer, so she knew what to do. Giving Harry a potion to help him calm down, she warned him that this couldn't become a regular occurrence, lest he risk forming an addiction. Harry admitted that he already knew the risks of the potions, and had something in the works to remove the need for them in the future.

He discovered the potion didn't fully help him, but he was much calmer than he was before. By the time his next class was set to begin, he was fine. The first half of the Transfiguration class was to catch up on what they learned the year before, so Professor McGonagall knew what she was dealing with. Those who were struggling, like Ron, Neville, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan would need to come back at the end of the day to ensure they had the basics down.

For the rest of the class, they had to turn a beetle into a button. Harry, Hermione, Ember, and a few others were able to do it, but many were not - including those who McGonagall previously singled out to return at the end of the day. On top of all that, those struggling would have extra homework assigned to ensure they knew what they had to do for the spells to succeed.

Ron's main problem appeared to be his wand; he had patched with some borrowed Spellotape after breaking it on his journey to school this year, but it seemed to be damaged beyond repair. It kept crackling and sparking at odd moments, and every time Ron tried to transfigure his beetle, it engulfed him in thick grey smoke that smelled of rotten eggs. Unable to see what he was doing, Ron accidentally squashed his beetle with his elbow and had to ask for a new one. Professor McGonagall wasn't pleased. Harry told Ron that he should write home and see about getting a new wand, but he didn't want to get another Howler back from his mother, and decided against informing his parents.

After lunch and a free period, where they began their assignments, Harry, Hermione, and Ember went to their last class of the day: Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Harry appeared to snag the attention of a younger Gryffindor, Colin Creevey, who fawned over Harry with a muggle camera. The new Gryffindor wanted to take a photo of Harry, something he was against, but things quickly spiralled out of control before he could say anything. First, Malfoy came along and tried to make fun of Harry, and make a big deal of it. That normally would have been easy for Harry to brush off, but the fool, Lockhart, had to come along and make things even worse. Before he knew it, Harry was forced into having a photo taken of the two of them. Lockhart made a quick departure immediately after the photo, seemingly oblivious to the glare he received from Harry as he went to get ready for Defence Against the Dark Arts.

The class was a joke. Lockhart instantly started out by having the class do a questionnaire all about him: from his favourite colour, all the way up to his ideal birthday gift. As if he hadn't already shown he was the worst teacher they had ever encountered, he proceeded to let loose a cage full of Cornish Pixies without informing them how to handle them. Once things inevitably got out of hand, he ran out of the classroom and left the students to handle the damn things, which Harry and Hermione were able to do with the help of Ember and her powers.

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the seventh part of The Serpent's Lair Saga, I would like to thank you once again for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and take a few moments to review. I also hope you read all of this note, as I would like your feedback on some things to help me out in the story.

I was able to update sooner as I had most of this chapter done already from the last version, and just needed to edit a few bits here and there, to fit to what has happened so far. So I hope the little that I added. The next chapter is ready, and is waiting for my Beta Reader to look at it.

_**A few question I would like your thoughts on:**_

_**Should I have the basilisk killed at the end of the saga or not? I say it is more useful to kill it for the money, but I would like to hear your thoughts about it. I'll go with the most outspoken thoughts. (Poll is up so you can vote on my profile and in reviews. I'll leave the poll up for about two/three chapters before I post the results.)**_

_**What pranks should Harry and the twins pull this year? I'm looking for ideas for both magical and non-magical ones. Right now, I'm looking for a prank that the Weasley Twins could pull on Harry to start a prank war between the three of them. Any ideas would be appreciated.**_

_**It might be early, but I would like to ask for a title for the third year saga, it needs to be eighteen characters or less, including spaces. I hope that you can help me. It'll be the year that not only does Sirius escape Azkaban, but Lucy is 'born' and Harry goes to the Overlord's Tower.**_

Just as a reminder, flame reviews from guests will be removed. If they point out a problem that needs to be fixed, or ideas that I could use to make the story better, I'll keep them, but keep it constructive. Please consider this when reviewing, as I don't want you to waste your time (or mine) on unhelpful flame reviews.

I would like to announce (for those that don't have alerts for my new stories) that I have posted a new story. This one is a Fairy Tail/Overlord story where Natsu is the Overlord. I won't say much, as I want you to read it for yourself, but it is an Evil/Harem/Powerful/Natsu. I'll be working on it's latest chapter next as I wait for ideas.

That said, I would like to thank you once again for reading, and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter. Feel free to offer up any ideas you might have for future chapters, and any powers you would like to see used in the story.

_**Next on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ Time skip! Harry joins Gryffindor's quidditch team, and we see the Duelling Club has its first meeting.


	27. Chapter 24 - The Serpent's Lair - Part 8

_'Thoughts!'_

_§ 'Parseltongue!' §_

**_Chapter Twenty-Four_**

**_The Serpent's Lair - Part 8!_**

**_(The Duelling Club.)_**

_22nd of September:_

It had been about two weeks since Harry started his second year at Hogwarts, and things were going well so far. Like the first three classes he had, the rest of his classes were the same; they would recap what they learned the year before, then begin covering the new stuff. Most of the professors must have followed McGonagall's lead; if they failed to perform during the review, they would need come back at the end of the day to take catch-up lessons.

Harry discovered that the recap classes didn't start up until about twenty-odd years ago, at the suggestion of some Mystics who came to Hogwarts. They had problems with learning - occasionally forgetting entire lectures - and thought that recap classes would be helpful. Surprisingly, most of the professors agreed with the idea, seeing its usefulness for all students.

In Charms, they were learning some household charms to help make life easier. Aside from a few who needed the recap classes, things were going smoothly; everyone was doing well under Flitwick's eager teaching style. As for History of Magic, they went on to talk about a few werewolf wars, along with other skirmishes with some of the so-called dark creatures.

Potions, on the other hand, was still a nightmare. Snape was breathing down every Gryffindor's neck - mainly Harry's - and allowed the Slytherins to ruin Gryffindor potions by throwing things into their cauldrons. At least with Snape as the teacher, no one had the recap class. Not because nobody needed it, but because the so-called professor refused to deal with dunderheads outside of his normal teaching hours.

In Herbology, they were still working on Mandrakes, but had branched out to learn about other plants while the Mandrakes matured a little more. Transfigurations was going slower as they had only finished turning a beetle into a button yesterday, the reason being given that a few people - Ron, Tony, and Neville, naming three - were still having problems and had only managed to reliably cast the spell this past class period.

After the incident with the Cornish Pixies in Defence Against the Dark Arts, all they did was act out Lockhart's "adventures." Harry sadly found himself to be the subject of playing whatever role Lockhart supposedly defeated - not something Harry was happy about, but there was nothing he could do about it, as Lockhart refused to have anyone else play the role.

Another problem Harry had was avoiding Colin Creevey, who seemed to have memorized Harry's schedule. Ever since the photo incident, nothing seemed to give Colin a bigger thrill than to say, "All right, Harry?" six or seven times a day and hear, "Hello, Colin," back, however exasperated Harry sounded when he said it.

Sadly the last two weeks had been busy for Harry, Hermione, and Melody, and so they didn't have time to pick up where they left off in the summer. Not that they could have, otherwise; they had yet to find a place where they could practice without anyone bothering them too much. Harry and Hermione just barely had the time to give Melody a tour of Hogwarts, showing her some shortcuts and hidden passageways, but Melody was happy to spend time with her sister. The daunting amount of work the teachers handed out prevented her from being able to fraternize with anyone except those she shared classes with. Despite all the demands on their time, the trio vowed to resume their training as soon as they found a room to use and enough free time to work with.

It was now a wonderful Saturday afternoon, and Harry was spending some alone time with Aneira to strengthen their bond. The pair was walking around the grounds when Harry was intercepted by Katie Bell.

"Hey Katie," Harry greeted the third year.

"Harry," she replied with a smile, "just the person I'm looking for."

"Oh?" Harry asked, curious to find out why she would seek him out.

"Yeah," Katie admitted with a smile, "have you heard the open secret of the poker game that happens here?"

"Yeah, but no one knows who's in the game," he admitted, "Why do you ask?"

"Well I'm a member, along with a few others on the Gryffindor team," explained Katie, "In fact, there are a few people from all houses attending. The rules are simple: you need to have money, and/or someone who'll back you to join the club, someone has to invite you, and you have to leave all your beliefs and feelings at the door. You make trouble at the game, you have your memories altered, and you're kicked out."

"Hmm, interesting. But what has it got to do with me?" Harry asked thoughtfully.

"Well I've been asked to see if you want to join," Katie admitted to her friend, "You're both the Boy-Who-Lived and you're the heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter; you have more money than most here at Hogwarts. My guess is they want you to join them so they could try and win some off you."

Harry thought this sounded like a lot of fun. It reminded him of The Abyss, and thanks to the club, he knew how to play poker and what tells to look out for. As he thought about it more, he was interested in the idea, but two things were bothering him.

"Not saying no, but two things: first, what if I decide not to join this? Would you alter memory of this meeting? And second, what is stopping others from talking about me being in this club of yours?"

Katie could understand her friend's fears. He would want to know the full details before he decide what to do. With a smile, she said, "Well if you decide not to join, nothing will happen, as you know nothing other than I'm in the poker game. And I'm hoping that you won't say anything."

"Don't worry, I won't say a thing," Harry reassured his friend.

"As for people telling people what they learn at the poker game, there are wards around the place to stop such things from happening," Katie explained to Harry.

"So where and when does the game start?" he asked.

"Right now if you want," Katie informed him, "And, I have been told that I need to take you."

After a few moments of thought, Harry said, "Sure, I haven't got anything else planned for the afternoon."

And with that, Katie and Harry returned to the castle, where Katie showed Harry where she and the others met. The place that Katie showed Harry was on the first floor of Hogwarts, within one of the empty classrooms. Once in the classroom, Harry found it strange and asked, "Why are we here?"

"You'll see." Was all Katie said with a smirk, as she pushed a few bricks, before pulling a torch, it was like the wall in Diagon Alley, where it started as a small hole and increasingly got larger until it formed an archway. But instead of revealing a room that he was suspecting to see, Harry saw stairs going down. And so they went down the stairs. And as they did, the wall behind them closed.

As they got to the bottom, Harry was shocked to find himself in a small chamber that reminded him of a smaller version of The Abyss's casino, it wasn't just poker that was played here.

"This is not what I was suspecting." Harry said thoughtfully mainly to himself.

"Then what were you suspecting, Potter?" A voice said behind them.

As Harry turned round, he saw a seventh year black Slytherin, with black short hair and blue eyes, and said, "You are?"

"I'm Perseus Darkstar," Darkstar told Harry, who found the name to be familiar somehow, "I'm the host of this little club for this year and the next. So, what were you suspecting?"

"To be honest, not much. A few tables with people playing poker," Harry explained honestly, "Not something like this, some kind of casino."

"And how would the Boy-Who-Lived know what a casino would look like?" Darkstar asked suspiciously.

Harry could kick himself for letting him know that he knew what a casino was, what twelve year old would know such a thing. Then thinking about it, giving the Slytherin a little white lie could come in handy, so that should he slip up about things he shouldn't about casinos, he could say he knew it that way. So with that he said, "Well I know two teenagers who work at underground club that has a casino, but much bigger."

"Oh what is this club called and these friend's names?" asked the Slytherin.

"The club is called the Abyss." Harry said as he hid a smirk at seeing shock face of Darkstar, it would seem the teen knew about the place. "And my friend's names are Madam Gaia, the Madam of the brothel there, and Blink, what I think you could call the receptionist of the club."

Darkstar laughed at this, "Oh please, do you honestly want be to believe that you're friends with the only two people that Maverick, the Boss of Abyss, really trusts, pull the other one."

Then suddenly, Harry remembered where he heard the name Darkstar, from the Abyss, Perseus's father, Henry Darkstar goes to his club. Not only that, Henry owes him a lot of money too, and so he said with a smirk, "Now I remember where I heard Darkstar, Madam Gaia and Blink talked to me once over the summer about your father Henry Darkstar. He goes to the Abyss, and not only that but he owes Maverick quite a bit of money from his debts. From what Madam Gaia tells me, it is over two thousand Galleons, and he is behind in his payments, so much that if your father doesn't sort something out with Maverick, Maverick is planning to show people that he isn't all talk."

"S-So you re-really do know Madam Gaia and Blink," the older Slytherin groped at this, "what do you mean that Maverick is planning to show people that he isn't all talk?"

"Well if your father doesn't pay his debt, or make some kind of arrangement, Maverick is going to use any females in your family and use_ them_ to pay off your father's debt." Harry explained to Darkstar, "And if there's no females to be used, he would use your father instead, from what Madam Gaia told me, there's a few men who would like to use men to relieve their stress."

The older Slytherin groped once again at this, he suddenly had the need to write to his father at once, and so called out in shock and fear to another Slytherin, "Hey Alan, you're in charge for a bit."

"What's wrong Perseus?" asked Alan.

"Nothing, I just need to write home about something that I just remembered I needed," lied Darkstar, "while I'm away make sure Potter is given the highest of respect."

And before Alan or anyone could ask what was going on, Darkstar left in a hurry and as the other Slytherin came up to Harry and Katie, he asked, "Do you know what that was about?"

"No, he just got frightened about something and needed to write home about something." Harry told the Slytherin, and Katie nodded in agreement, as she didn't know if she could trust her mouth at that moment.

"Well that is strange," Alan said in confusion, before shaking it off before going on to say, "so do you want me to show you around, or do you want Katie to do so?"

"No thanks, I'll let Katie show me around if you don't mind?" Harry told Alan.

"No I don't mind, in fact it is ideal," the older Slytherin admitted, "with Perseus going off like that, I'll be busy keeping an eye on everybody."

"Thanks," Harry told the boy, before thinking of something, "should I be worried about cheating here?"

"Sort of," Alan told the Boy-Who-Lived, "the simple rule is that there's no cheating unless you get caught cheating. So unless you get caught, you got nothing to worry about, but if you do get caught, you lose everything that you earnt that day and you get kicked out for a few weeks."

"That's good to hear," Harry smirked at this, "I'll see you about."

And with that Harry and Katie left the Slytherin alone, as Katie showed Harry around. During this time she asked Harry if he really knew the girls, and if he did, did he know Maverick, as she only heard rumours of the Abyss. Harry said he never really met the man known as Maverick. Which was true. So, unless he had a Time Turner, how could he meet himself? He thought with a hidden smirk. But he did admit that he did see the club a few times whilst Maverick wasn't there, which was part true, since Harry was Harry at the time and not Maverick.

After that, Harry played a few games, with the card games though, he allowed himself to lose to a fold, the main reason is that he wanted to learn the tells of the players and that would take a while to do. For now, he would try and win with the other games, cheating where he can, as Alan said, it wasn't cheating if you didn't get caught and thanks to him running his old club, the Underground Asylum.

The last game of the afternoon was with Katie, it was just the two of them and the deal was that the loser would agree to one favour of the winner. As long as it wasn't sexual, the favour could be anything. The game was of poker, the winner was the one who won three games out of five.

Sadly though Harry lost, and he couldn't tell how the hell that happened, he thought he had Katie's tells, but by the looks of it, she was faking them, as she won three game to his one. Harry could swore she cheated somehow, but somehow she won her games. And her favour, it was to make it so that he would try out for the Seeker for their House Team, and the try outs was the next day.

It was no secret that Harry was able to spot the Snitch well before either of the Seekers in almost every game in his first year, but he had no plans to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, as it was too boring for him - as the Seeker was only to find the Snitch and nothing else. But thanks to this damn bet, he had to try out and what was worse, the way the favour was done, he had to do his best and not lose on purpose.

**_o0OoO0o_**

_29th of September:_

It had been a week since the poker game, other than the class, not much happened during the week. Susan's training to make her stronger so she could avenge her parent's death restarted, and Harry's lessons with Tonks had started again. Whilst he thought he knew what he was doing, Tonks seemed to surprise him once or twice. But informed Harry that in a few months, he wouldn't need these lessons anymore.

Harry still wanted to learn how to become a girl. Partly because he was a pervert, but the main reason, at least this is what he told everyone, was that no one would suspect him to be a female. But Tonks kept on saying that she would think about it, Harry had decided that he would give her a few more weeks. If, however, she still hadn't decided in a few weeks, he would inform her what he saw on the train and unless she wanted others to learn about it, she would help him.

As in the Wizarding World, unless it was the husband who decided to see his wife with another woman, and he was joining them, female dating another female was frowned upon and so they did so in secret. Would he use this fact to get more? Harry had to admit, he wasn't sure. He liked the idea, but the risk of it backfiring was something he had to consider.

As for joining the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, which was today, his friends were surprised, as they knew that Harry didn't like Quidditch much, as he found it boring. When they asked why he was doing so, Harry explained that he and Katie was playing a game of cards where the loser would do one favour from the winner which was Katie who wanted him to try out for the House Quidditch Team and do his best at it. And so here he was, on the Quidditch Team. He told them that he suspected that although he couldn't prove it, he suspected she cheated somehow. Other than Wood, the others laughed at this, as they said that she most likely did as when they played cards with her, she didn't seem to lose all that often.

Another pain that joining the House Quidditch Team caused, was the fact that Ron got jealous of the fact. Over the last few weeks, the rebuilding the friendship between him, Hermione and Ron had been rough. This new event just made it harder on what was a rough friendship at the start, and if things continued like this, it might end. Not that Harry was bothered by this fact, in fact he would be happy about it. He didn't need friends who would get jealous so easy.

Now that today was Saturday and it was meant to be his first day of training as the new Seeker, which Harry thought would be around noon time, and so he thought he would have a lay in - but he was wrong. Harry was shaken awake several hours earlier than he would have liked by Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.

"Whassamatter?" said Harry groggily.

"Quidditch practice!" said Wood. "Come on!"

Harry squinted at the window. There was a thin mist hanging across the pink-and-gold sky. Now that he was awake, he couldn't understand how he could have slept through the racket the birds were making. "Oliver," Harry croaked. "It's the crack of dawn. Go back to bed and lets do training at a normal hour of the day."

"Exactly," said Wood, deciding not to hear the last part to what Harry said. He was a tall and burly sixth year and, at the moment, his eyes were gleaming with a crazed enthusiasm. "It's part of the new training program I have for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Come on, grab your broom, and let's go," said Wood heartily. "None of the other teams have started training yet; we're going to be first off the mark this year -"

Yawning and shivering slightly, Harry climbed out of bed and tried to find his Quidditch robes. Deciding it was better to do this, the other option was to kill the fool, and that would mean trying to find a place to hide the body quickly. And he didn't want his first human kill, to be this fool, that right belonged to Dan Granger. Which Harry was still planning, he had the basic idea, but he needed a way out of Hogwarts, until he could find a way out, he couldn't do much right now. Although, he could ask a few question at the casinos, they seemed to be full of food, so they might know a way out of Hogwarts without being seen.

"Good man," said Wood. "Meet you on the field in fifteen minutes."

When he'd found his scarlet team robes and pulled on his cloak for warmth, Harry scribbled a note to Ron explaining where he'd gone, and ask him to inform the others where he went, before he went down the spiral staircase to the common room. He had just reached the portrait hole when there was a clatter behind him and Colin Creevey came dashing down the spiral staircase, his camera swinging madly around his neck and something clutched in his hand.

"I heard someone saying your name on the stairs, Harry! Look what I've got here! I've had it developed, I wanted to show you -"

Harry looked bemusedly at the photograph Colin was brandishing under his nose.

A moving, black-and-white Lockhart was tugging hard on an arm Harry recognized as his own. He was pleased to see that his photographic self was putting up a good fight and refusing to be dragged into view. As Harry watched, Lockhart gave up and slumped, Panting, against the white edge of the picture.

"Will you sign it?" said Colin eagerly.

"No," Harry snapped at the young boy, glancing around to check that the room was really deserted. "Sorry Colin, I was rudely awaken this morning when I was hoping to have a lay in. Now I'm in a hurry - Quidditch practice -"

Harry hurried and climbed through the portrait hole, hoping to get rid of the young annoying boy. But his luck wasn't with him, as Colin scrambled through the hole after him and said, "Oh, wow! Wait for me! I've never watched a Quidditch game before!"

"It'll be really boring," Harry said quickly and honestly, but Colin ignored him, his face shining with excitement. Harry didn't know how to get rid of him. It was like having an extremely talkative shadow.

"I don't really understand Quidditch," said Colin breathlessly. "Is it true there are four balls? And two of them fly around trying to knock people off their brooms?"

"Yes," said Harry heavily, resigned to explaining the complicated rules of Quidditch. "They're called Bludgers. There are two Beaters on each team who carry clubs to beat the Bludgers away from their side. Fred and George Weasley are the Gryffindor Beaters."

"And what are the other balls for?" Colin asked, tripping down a couple of steps because he was gazing open-mouthed at Harry.

"Well, the Quaffle - that's the biggish red one - is the one that scores goals. Three Chasers on each team throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through the goal posts at the end of the pitch - they're the three long poles with hoops on the end."

"And the fourth ball -"

"- is the Golden Snitch," said Harry, "and it's very small, very fast, and difficult to catch. But that's what the Seeker's got to do, because a game of Quidditch doesn't end until the Snitch has been caught. And whichever team's Seeker gets the Snitch earns his team an extra hundred and fifty points. A bit unfair truth to be told."

"And you're the Gryffindor Seeker, aren't you?" said Colin in awe.

"Unfortunately, yes." Harry told the young boy sadly, still upset about being on the team, as they left the castle and started across the dew-drenched grass. "And there's the Keeper, too. He guards the goal posts. That's it, really."

But Colin didn't stop questioning Harry until they were all the way down by the sloping lawns to the Quidditch field, and Harry only shook him off when he reached the changing rooms; Colin called after him in a piping voice, "I'll go and get a good seat, Harry!" and hurried off to the stands.

The rest of the Gryffindor team were already in the changing room. Wood was the only person who looked truly awake. Fred and George Weasley were sitting, puffy-eyed and tousle haired, next to fourth year Alicia Spinnet, who seemed to be nodding off against the wall behind her. Her fellow Chasers, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, were yawning side by side opposite them.

"There you are, Harry, what kept you?" said Wood briskly, "Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field, because I spent the summer devising a whole new training program, which I really think will make all the difference…"

Wood was holding up a large diagram of a Quidditch field, on which were drawn many lines, arrows, and crosses in different coloured inks. He took out his wand, tapped the board, and the arrows began to wiggle over the diagram like caterpillars. As Wood launched into a speech about his new tactics, Fred Weasley's head drooped right onto Alicia's shoulder and he began to snore.

The first board took nearly twenty minutes to explain, but there was another board under that, and a third under that one. Harry sank into a stupor as Wood droned on and on.

"So," said Wood, at long last, jerking Harry from a wistful fantasy about what he could be eating for breakfast at this very moment up at the castle, before finding somewhere to fuck Melody. "Is that clear? Any questions?"

"I've got a question, Oliver," said George, who had woken with a start, before Harry could say something, "why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake?"

Wood wasn't pleased.

"Now, listen here, you lot," he said, glowering at them all, "I have only two years before I leave here, and before that time I want to win at least one game before I finish Hogwarts."

"So this year, we train harder than ever before… Okay, let's go and put our new theories into practice!" Wood shouted, seizing his broomstick and leading the way out of the locker rooms. Stiff-legged and still yawning, his team followed.

They had been in the locker room so long that the sun was up completely now, although remnants of mist hung over the grass in the stadium. As Harry walked onto the field, he saw Ron, Ember, Melody and Hermione were sitting in the stands.

"Aren't you finished yet?" called Melody incredulously.

"Haven't even started." said Harry, looking jealously at the toast and marmalade Ron and the others had brought out of the Great Hall. "Wood's been teaching us new moves."

He mounted one of the school broomsticks, the one he ordered hadn't arrived yet, and kicked off the ground, soaring up into the air. The cool morning air whipped his face, waking him far more effectively than Wood's long talk. Whilst it wasn't the same as flying broom free, the feeling of the air felt wonderful on his face. He soared right around the stadium at full speed, racing Fred and George.

"What's that funny clicking noise?" called Fred as they hurtled around the corner.

Harry looked into the stands. Colin was sitting in one of the highest seats, his camera raised, taking picture after picture, the sound strangely magnified in the deserted stadium.

"Look this way, Harry! This way!" he cried shrilly.

_'Damn it…'_ Harry thought to himself.

"Who's that?" said Fred.

"What's going on?" said Wood, frowning, as he skimmed through the air toward them. "Why's that first year taking pictures? I don't like it. He could be a Slytherin spy, trying to find out about our new training program."

"Sadly no," Harry told his new captain, "he is Colin Creevey a first year Gryffindor."

"And the Slytherins don't need a spy, Oliver," said George.

"What makes you say that?" said Wood testily.

"Because they're here in person," said George, pointing.

Several people in green robes were walking onto the field, broomsticks in their hands.

"I don't believe it!" Wood hissed in outrage. "I booked the field for until noon! We'll see about this!"

Wood shot toward the ground, landing rather harder than he meant to in his anger, staggering slightly as he dismounted. Harry, Fred, and George followed.

"Flint!" Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now! Come back after lunch!"

Marcus Flint was even larger than Wood. He had a look of trollish cunning on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."

Angelina, Alicia, and Katie had come over, too. There were no girls on the Slytherin team, who stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the Gryffindors, leering to a man.

"But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!"

"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. _'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker'.._"

"You've got a new Seeker too?" said Wood, distracted. "Where?"

And from behind the six large figures before them came a seventh, smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Draco Malfoy.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" said Fred, looking at Malfoy with dislike.

"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the whole Slytherin team smiled still more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."

All seven of them held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling the words _Nimbus 2001 _gleamed under the Gryffindors' noses in the early morning sun.

"Very latest model. Only came out last month," said Flint carelessly, flicking a speck of dust from the end of his own. "I believe it outstrips the old 2000 series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps-" he smiled nastily at Fred and George, who were both clutching Cleansweep Fives "-sweeps the board with them."

None of the Gryffindor team could think of anything to say for a moment. Malfoy was smirking so broadly his cold eyes were reduced to slits. Than if he could, his smirk widened, as he said, "Is that the broom you're using Potter? An old school broom, looks like we got nothing to worry about, it is a win."

"No, I'm just using it until the broom that I ordered for the game to arrive," Harry told the brat, before smirking himself as he said, "in fact it too is a Nimbus 2001."

Malfoy's face drained of colour a bit if possible for the torn of skin he had, but a bit of colour came back as he said, "Still one Nimbus 2001 against seven means nothing, we'll still beat you."

"Oh, look," said Flint, before any of them could say anything, "a field invasion."

Hermione and and the others were crossing the grass to see what was going on.

"What's happening?" Ron asked Harry. "Why aren't you playing? And what's _he _doing here?"

He was looking at Malfoy, taking in his Slytherin Quidditch robes.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Malfoy, smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms that my father bought our team."

Ron gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in front of him.

"Good, aren't they?" said Malfoy smoothly. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them."

The Slytherin team howled with laughter.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Hermione sharply, "they got in on pure talent."

The smug look on Malfoy's face flickered.

"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood." he spat in her face.

Upon Malfoy calling Hermione Mudblood, Melody, who didn't know what it meant yet, was in an uproar at his words. Flint had to dive in front of Malfoy to stop Fred and George jumping on him, Alicia shrieked, _"How dare you!" _Ron plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" and pointed it furiously under Flint's arm at Malfoy's face.

But before Ron could do anything with his broken wand, Harry exploded at what Malfoy said, "You fucking ass, how dare you call my friend that!"

Everyone had to step back from Harry, flames were coming off him, and the heat was almost unbearable to be near to. "Harry calm down," Hermione called out to her crash, "you don't want to get into trouble because of this fool."

Taking a few deep calming breaths, Harry nodded his thanks to his friend, before turning to Wood he said, "Wood, allow them the peach for the morning, we can do it this afternoon. I'm not in the right mood to train, and could end up turning my boom to ash should I try and fly it. I need time to calm down fully before doing anything else."

Looking over his new Seeker, whilst the flames was slowly going away, it would be best to allow Potter time to calm down. So he said, "That's fine Harry, be here after lunch and we'll continue then."

"See you later Wood," Harry told his Captain, and turning to his friends he said, "I'll talk to the rest of you soon, just need to be myself." And with that the group bid Harry goodbye, and Harry went to the room that the Headmaster set up for him to calm down. A room, until now, he didn't need to use.

As Harry left the area, he left a group of Gryffindors and Slytherins in his wake, shocked at what they saw. Those who didn't see him last year when he used his powers on the teacher who tried to kill Potter, some say the teacher was processed by the Dark Lord, heard rumours that he was a Fire Elementalist, but many didn't believe it - until now that was. Now though, seeing the flames and feeling the heat, it was hard not to believe he wasn't a Fire Elementalist. Most of them by right were now weary of the Boy-Who-Lived, but there were a few foolish ones who thought they would be okay to keep on teasing and bullying Harry. They would soon find out that wouldn't be the best of ideas.

**_o0OoO0o_**

As Harry entered the castle to head off to the room the Headmaster set up, he found that the entire castle was abuzz with the news of a new Duelling Club. The news of the new Duelling Club appeared a few days ago, when a glitter covered notice appeared on the noticeboard within their Common Room.

The notice informed the reader that there would be a Duelling Club starting the following Saturday. There were many rumours about who would be running the club. Most people thought it would be Professor Flitwick, seeing as he was a duelling champion when he was younger. Harry could not care less at the moment, provided the instructor was someone other than Lockhart or Snape. He would give any other instructor an honest try. At this moment, all he wanted was to get to his room and let off some steam.

As he was walking he couldn't help but to smile at the fact that things were getting better, he was looking for a place where he, Hermione and Melody could restart their training. They even talked about getting some of their friends to join them. Thankfully, the transition period for Melody was ending and right now she was having fun with being shown around by Harry and Hermione. Melody might have still needed more time to transition to the demands of Hogwarts and subsequently have more free time to spend with her Master and older sister as well as make new friends in her year, but for the moment, she cherished the break in the work.

As Harry got to the third floor corridor, the same place where the Philosopher's Stone was once hidden, and where Harry's room to cool off was, Harry came across a scene of interest between two Ravenclaw girls. The first was an attractive girl, she looked like she was of Chinese descent, with long, shining dark hair and eyes, and light freckles on her nose - she looked a bit older, like she was in her third year. The other girl looked like she was a first year, she had waist-length, straggly, dirty blonde hair, protuberant grey eyes that seemed to be dreamily distracted, and faint eyebrows.

"Do you really believe in half the crap that comes from you mouth? You must be loony! Hey, that's a good name for you, Loony Lovegood." The black haired girl said, grinning meanly.

"Well of course I do! My mother told me my father researched them for a living, so they must be real." 'Loony' Lovegood replied cheerfully.

"A third year bullying a first year, pathetic." Harry cut in coldly, "And from the House of the smart too."

"What concern is it of yours, Potter?" The older Ravenclaw sputtered, looking embarrassed, probably at being caught. "I'm sick of her raving about imaginary creatures nobody can see or hear. She's crazy, and a distraction we don't need. Honestly, if I hear the words Nargle and Wrackspurt again I'm going to snap! She doesn't belong in Ravenclaw." She raved, clearly agitated by the younger 'Claws beliefs.

Harry looked at the older girl strangely, so what if the Lovegood girl believed in things most did not think existed? Just because the public at large had never seen them or knew of them did not disprove their existence. They could easily be very low in number, or hidden by some inborn ability like a chameleon.

Harry may have known about magic for a while now, but with the beings like the Mystics, who could do almost anything that they set their mind to, like he could. He could easily see there being a kind of ocular ability that allowed the user to see through stealth magic, maybe the blonde girl had this gift and just didn't know it? With all this in Harry's reaction was obvious. With a scoff Harry shook his head slowly, "I didn't know 'proper' Ravenclaws were so close minded. Who's to say your Housemate isn't gifted, and can see the unseeable?"

The oriental girl got defensive as he called her intelligence into question. "You don't know anything about magic, Potter."

"Oh? And you do?" Harry challenged, trying to keep his calm, "What if I say I can teleport behind you?"

The girl looked at him oddly, but answered, "Oh please, we all know that you can't Apparate or Teleport in or out of Hogwarts."

Harry just smirked as he 'Jumped' behind the girls and said 'boo' which that caused both Ravenclaws to jump forward and gasp in shock.

"H-How did you?" asked the oriental girl.

"Wow, that's really cool!" admitted the first year.

Harry grinned, "I'm a Mystic, and as you might know, we all can do all sorts of powers, like me being able to use flames, and able to teleport like I just did. So who's to say Ms. Lovegood can't see things that don't want to be seen?"

"It's Luna." Luna clarified.

"Cho Chang." Cho answered distantly. Her distant eyes focused briefly and she said, "I'll just being going." Not giving a word of apology.

Only after Cho left did Harry realize how stupid it was to show off his ability to teleport so brazenly like that. Still, looking at how happy and excited Luna seemed to look he considered it a worthy exchange. "If she starts bothering you again you can come talk to me, if you want?" He offered awkwardly. He'd never had the motivation to save anyone from bullies back in public school, he was a little lost.

Luna shook her head. "Oh, no, Cho was just frustrated, she didn't really mean to take it out on me. I think she's under a lot of pressure from her family. She's been getting a lot of mail lately." She explained sympathetically. "I can tell because she didn't steal any of my things like the others."

"Well that's goo-" Harry paused mid-word as her statement sunk in, "Wait, others?"

He looked up, only to see Luna skipping down the corridor. She spun around, never slowing pace as she skipped backwards. "Bye Harry! I'm going to be late."

Seeing her about to turn a corner Harry called hurriedly, "Come join our group sometime in the library!"

He shook his head as the quirky girl's voice echoed, "Okay!" from wherever she was by that point. Whilst he lost some of his anger, Harry still had some there, and so with the girls gone, he went to the third floor where his room was, where he spent the next few hours letting off steam. And after lunch, he went to the Quidditch Pitch for training.

**_o0OoO0o_**

_6th of October:_

It had been a week since Harry's first Quidditch practice, and his first time using the classroom that Dumbledore set up to blow off some steam. Since then not much happened. Ember seemed to be spending more time with Ginny, nothing really strange about that as she spent the summer at the Weasleys and made friends with the young female Weasley. Although she seemed to be acting a bit strange, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. But didn't worry about, he put it down to the fact that she was going through puberty and was embarrassed about it. He knew the feeling, he was going through changes that he didn't want to talk about, and for a girl he suspected it was worse. But Harry knew if it was bad, she would come to him for help.

During the week, Harry was able to find a room where he, Hermione, Melody, and Ember if she wanted to join, could train. In fact, the room was in the same corridor as his room that Dumbledore gave him. No one used the corridor, so they could use it for practice as much as they wanted, and the chamber beneath could be useful for fighting practice, as no one would hear them and get hurt if they got in the way. So all in all, a good place to train. Harry felt a bit foolish for not thinking about it beforehand. He would have to set a few things up first. But soon, he and the others could begin what they started over the summer, with Ember joining if she wanted to.

And so with a basic normal week, nothing to bother them other than school work, and in Harry's case sending his first letter to his Godmother, it was once again Saturday, the day that most of the students were waiting for; the start of the Duelling Club. From what Harry found in _Hogwarts: A History_, the last time the Duelling Club was up and running was about fifty years ago. It stopped because no teacher wanted to take it up again. So Harry had to wonder why was it being set up again after so many years…

Anyway, at noon that day Harry, Ember, Ginny, Hermione and Melody, went to the Great Hall where the Club was being held. As they got there they saw that the Hall was heavily rearranged. The long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited.

As Harry looked round the Great Hall, he spotted Holly Halliwell. Thankfully, she hadn't been too much of a problem so far, as she kept to herself much to Harry's surprise. The only thing she did was ask his friends in Hufflepuff about him and what he was like, which Harry was happy to find out that they hadn't told her much, just what everyone else knew about him. But Harry would keep an eye on her, as one thing he knew, she was there for him. And not knowing why, bothered him.

"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" Hermione wondered as they edged into the chattering crowd. They stopped next to their friends. "Someone told me Flitwick was a duelling champion when he was young - maybe it'll be him?"

"As long as it's not Lockhart, I don't mind. He can't teach to save his own life." Harry grumbled to his friends agreement. Seconds later the group groaned as they saw Gilderoy Lockhart walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.

Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called, "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to restart this Duelling Club, which was cancelled fifty years ago when no other teacher wanted to teach it again. However, I thought that it would be good to bring it back, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions - for full details, see my published works."

'_So that's his plan,' _Harry thought darkly, _'trying to sell more of his rubbish work onto us. A pointless gesture, we were already forced to buy everything he's published.'_

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape." Lockhart announced, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry - you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

"Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Harry heard Ron mutter to Tony and Neville behind him. And Harry agreed, if, how highly unlikely it would, they could finish each other off, it would remove two pests from Hogwarts.

But Harry saw Snape's upper lip was curling, and he wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at him like that he'd have been, at the very least, on guard. Lockhart looked completely carefree.

Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position." Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

"I wouldn't bet on that." Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth.

Not noticing this, Lockhart said with a smile, "Now on the count of three, One - two - three -"

Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" But at the same time there was flash of bright coloured light.

When they could see again, they saw Snape looking shocked as he saw Lockhart standing with a smile on his face, with Snape's wand in his hand. "Well, there you have it, the Disarming Charm. If I didn't cast the Fulgor Charm Professor Snape's own Disarming Charm would have hit me and I would have most likely been knocked on the floor and lost my own wand."

All the girls cheered at this, even Harry began to feel some respect for the fool. He may not be a great teacher, but by the looks of it, he knew what he was doing when it came to duelling. "I want to stress to you all that Duelling skill does not equate to how many spells you know or how powerful you are, but how well you've mastered what you feel comfortable casting quickly and efficiently." Lockhart explained, "However, the Disarming Charm is a good spell to know, so let me put you all into pairs and you can learn this handy spell. Here you go Professor Snape, your wand." Lockhart added as he gave Snape his wand back.

But backed off as he saw Snape looking murderous, he clearly didn't like being shown up by the blond man. Slightly more weary, the man continued. "Now if you would like to pair up with your friends one on one. Me and Professor Snape will teach you how to cast the Disarming Charm as well as the Stunning and Shield Charms, three important skills for beginners at duelling. Knowing these three will help immensely should you find yourself in a duel."

So with that the class paired up with each other, Harry and Hermione were together whilst Ember was working with Ginny, and Melody was with the girl that they helped a few days ago, Luna. Over the next hour the class learnt how to cast the Disarming, Stunning and Shield Charms. Harry was shocked to find out that while Lockhart was completely terrible at teaching Defence, he was very good at teaching duelling. Harry wondered briefly why Lockhart hadn't just been hired to teach duelling, or at least oversee the club for the year, since he seemed more suited for it.

After half an hour Lockhart called out, "That's enough… now we've got about half an hour left, who would like to do a mock duel?" There were many cheers of agreement to this, causing the man to smile widely. "Okay then, I'm going to go around and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me?"

They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Harry and Hermione first.

"Time to split up the dream team, I think." He sneered. "Granger, you can partner up with Miss Bulstrode. Potter-"

Harry moved automatically toward Ember, as Hermione moved towards a Slytherin girl who reminded Harry of a picture he'd seen in _Holidays with Hags_. She was large and square and her heavy jaw jutted aggressively. Hermione gave her a weak smile that she did not return.

"I don't think so." Snape said oily, smiling coldly, and seeing he was moving to Melody, he said, "And not young Miss Granger either, I think Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of the famous Potter. And you, young Miss Granger - you can partner Miss Greengrass." Snape pointed towards a very attractive blonde girl, who instantly started walking over.

Melody smiled again at her new opponent, and was shocked to find that Daphne returned her tiny smile with one of her own, clearly far more friendly than Millicent.

"Professor Lockhart, would it be okay if I picked the partners for the first duel?" Snape asked with a smirk.

"I see no problems with this Professor Snape." Lockhart said with a smile.

"In that case, Malfoy, Potter, up front, now." Snape said as the two boys climbed up onto duelling platform.

"Okay then boys," Lockhart began with a smile, "The rules for this duel are simple, you may only use the three spells you learned tonight, you cannot use any other spells. This is to show if you can fight with these three. That out of the way, face your partners and bow."

"Scared Potter?" Malfoy mocked, as he and Harry barely inclined their heads, not taking their eyes off each other.

"Oh please, of you?" Harry replied with a scoff, "After what I went through at the end of last year? And what I have seen over the years, you're not even worth taking seriously." He smirked, knowing the entire act would rile the bleach blonde up.

"Now boys, wands at the ready!" Lockhart shouted, causing both boys to make the same movement as Lockhart and Snape did earlier. "When I count to three, cast your charms, the first to disarm or knock out your partner wins. Remember, only the spells you learnt tonight, we don't want any accidents do we? Now, on three. One - two -"

The Malfoy Scion jumped the gun, hurling his spell at Harry before Lockhart had even finished pronouncing 'two'. This was not an unexpected move, and Harry smoothly dodged the spell by sidestepping it. "Is that the best you've got Malfoy, how pathetic." Harry scoffed at the Malfoy Heir, and then went on to bite him, "I thought you would be better at this, it seems I was right, you're nothing but talk."

Draco, now well and enraged, broke the rules and threw out several Cutting Curses, thin strips of red light that would have given Harry some pretty serious gashes if they'd landed, but Harry kept dodging and sidestepping the spells. Before long he shouted at Harry, "Are you so powerless and stupid that all you can do is dance around my spells?!"

Harry only smirked as he ducked under another widely cast Cutting Curse, "Oh no, I'm just showing everyone that you don't need spells to defend yourself, you have other ways to do so, dodging being one of them. Here's another one." Before Malfoy could say anything, he saw a blur coming at him. A flutter of robes and stars in his vision were all he managed to wrap his mind around before he was thrown to the floor.

"_Potter!" _Snape snarled, "Twenty points from Gryffindor for using Muggle Duelling."

"And what about Malfoy?" Harry demanded, "That punch aside, until then I followed the rules, in fact that punch wasn't specifically breaking any rule. Malfoy was the one throwing around potentially lethal magic."

"Mr. Potter is right Professor Snape," said Lockhart, "I told them to use the three Charms they were taught tonight, but Mr. Malfoy didn't, he used spells that he shouldn't. In fact, Mr. Potter using physical force wasn't against the rules, I never said they couldn't do such a thing, it was just assumed it wasn't allowed, so twenty points to Gryffindor for Harry's ingenuity and forty points from Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy's flagrant breaking of my rules."

Lockhart turned to the audience and began speaking, the students paying attention even more closely because he was using his Professor voice. "Mr. Potter was right, when duelling, you should know how to dodge and sidestep spells. There _will_ be times when Shield Charms won't be enough, and you will need to resort to physically dodging the offensive magic. We'll leave that for a later lesson, shall we?" He went on to say as he looked at Harry and Malfoy, "I want you two to try one more time at this. For the record, other than dodging I am now banning Muggle fist fighting. If either of you goes beyond the limits I've set you'll earn yourself a solid week of detention. Duelling isn't a game, people can get hurt if they don't pay attention. Now take a few moments and we'll begin…"

Snape moved towards Malfoy, bent down, and whispered something in his ear with a smirk. Whatever it was made Malfoy smirk too. Harry had a sudden feeling of dread, but before could think about it Lockhart was once more speaking, "Okay boys, get in place and bow to your partner." Both Harry and Malfoy did so, "Now once again on the count of three, _only _the charms we learned _tonight _and nothing else. Now, one - two - three - go!" Lockhart shouted.

Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, **_"Serpensortia!"_**

The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.

"Don't move, Potter," Snape said lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it…"

Snape's spell wasn't verbalized, but it didn't matter as the bright yellow bolt of light missed anyway. It sizzled right passed the snake's eyes, irritating the creature enough to start mindlessly hissing at everything around it. Justin was, unfortunately, frozen stiff right next to the duelling platform and the snake decided he was to blame for it's hurting eyes and moved to attack.

Harry wasn't sure what made him do it. He wasn't even aware of deciding to do it. All he knew was that his legs were carrying him forward as though he was on auto-pilot and that he had shouted stupidly at the snake, _§ 'Ssstay away from him!'_ _§_ And miraculously - inexplicably - the snake stopped moving towards Justin, however its eyes were darting back and forth from Justin to Harry and back to Justin a few times. Harry wasn't sure if the snake would attack Justin or not by the looks the snake was leaning towards yes, so once again Harry called out to the snake _§ 'I sssaid ssstay away from him, come to me and I'll sssee if I can sssend you back where you come from or take you sssomewhere sssafe.' § _Harry didn't know much about the spell that brought the snake here, but if it was summoned from somewhere else, as opposed to being summoned from nothing, he would return it to it's home.

_§ 'Ok Ssspeaker, I would like to go home,' § _The snake hissed. Revealing to Harry that the snake was brought here from somewhere else, something Harry put back in his mind for later use. It could be useful spell to have, but it would potentially be limited if you could only summon a snake from so far away. He would need to research the spell and see what it could do and its limits.

He looked up at Justin, grinning, expecting to see the other boy looking relieved, or puzzled, or even grateful - but certainly not angry and scared.

"What do you think you're playing at?!" He shouted, and before Harry could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall. Harry had no idea what the hell he meant; the snake was angry and if he hadn't calmed it down the snake would have attacked Justin. As he looked around, he saw shocked and fearful looks coming from a large number of people, mostly magical raised, so he must have done something that set off one of their many fears of the unknown.

He did notice the twins were looking at him in awe, but that knowledge wasn't exceptionally unique among the mass of students reacting negatively.

As Harry was looking around Snape stepped forward and waved his wand, causing the snake to vanish in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way; It was a shrewd and calculating look, one Harry didn't like at all.

Lockhart broke the silence as his furious voice echoed off the halls. "Hundred points from Slytherin for use of a lethal spell after I very specifically banned it's use and detention for three months! Furthermore, you are henceforth banned from the Duelling Club for the rest of the year."

The students in the hall looked at Lockhart in shock, no one had ever seen the jovial man angry before. Draco's smug expression was wiped away instantly with indignant outrage, already muttering about his father hearing of this.

"Mr. Potter, you may wish to leave. I will be dismissing the club shortly." Lockhart said discreetly to Harry, perfectly aware that his performance had taken the spotlight off the raven haired boy, at least for the moment.

Harry didn't waste time and quickly and quietly left the hall. Hermione met him halfway and latched onto him, staring him out of the hall with Ember, Ginny, Melody and his other friends hurrying alongside them. True to his word, Lockhart made a few announcements about when the next club meeting would be before dismissing his charges.

Ron made his opinion known rather bluntly as he spat, "I should have known." Before splitting from the group, with Tony and Neville, Neville looked shocked and ill.

The group was silent as Hermione lead Harry, and thus everyone else, into an abandoned classroom. Before they entered the room though Su spoke up, revealing her own opinion, which matched everyone else's in regards to Ron's behaviour. "Expected."

As they all sat down at the slightly dusty desks, before Harry could ask what was going on, Fred's awed voice cut him off. "How come you never mentioned…"

"…You were a Parselmouth?" George finished, equally awed.

"I'm a what?" Harry asked, confused.

"_A Parselmouth!" _Hermione exclaimed with a snap of her fingers. "You can talk to snakes!"

"I know." Harry answered simply. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once - long story - but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to - that was before I knew I was a wizard-"

"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Melody parroted in confusion.

"What did you expect? _'Let me out of this glass cage you filthy hairless monkey so that I may wring the life from you!'_?" Harry deadpanned. "I bet loads of people here can do it." He played it off.

"Oh no, it's actually quite a rare talent." Susan cut in worriedly. "This could be bad for you Harry."

"Why would it be bad for me? What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-"

"Oh, that's what you said to it?" Hannah asked.

"What do you mean? You were all there - you heard me -"

"We heard you speaking Parseltongue," Cedric explained. "Snake language. None of us understood what you said, to everyone there you could have been saying anything - no wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something - it was cool yes, but at the same time creepy, you know. Now we know what you said, I'll try and calm him down."

Harry gaped at him. "I spoke a different language? But - I didn't realize - how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it? It just sounds like English with exaggerated S's to me."

Hermione and the others shook their head, they looked a bit worried at what happened. Harry couldn't see why they looked so worked up.

"Does someone want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a massive snake from biting off Justin's head?" Harry demanded, growing annoyed at being out of the loop. Melody and Ember were the only other two there who looked puzzled, but that wasn't shocking considering they weren't from the Wizarding World. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"

"It matters because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent." Hermione lectured.

Harry's eyes widened and he made a small, "Oh." sound and he finally connected the pieces.

Susan laid things out further, "And now the whole school's going to think you're his descendent."

"All things considered it's possible I could be. It's not like I've looked up my family tree recently, or ever." Harry admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Anyway, you should keep your head down for a while." Katie cautioned after several moments of silent thought. "People might start thinking of you as an up and coming Dark Wizard; Parseltongue is considered Dark Magic and anyone who speaks it is a Dark Wizard."

"Human nature." Su cut in, sounding vaguely disgusted. "Be careful." The petite girl said seriously. Considering she was speaking more than one word Harry practically memorized the occasion on the spot.

"Su's right, watch your back." Angelina supported. "We know better, but others won't take this so well. Keep your head down and do nothing to draw attention towards yourself. It should blow over eventually, but until that happens the rumours are going to get real nasty. You all know how sadistic the gossip around here can get."

They all winced, having heard some truly vicious rumours about people that really didn't deserve them. Even Melody had heard her share. Melody decided to lighten the mood, or at least try to. "There no point in huddling ourselves away. If we just stay in here for the rest of the day they'll have won."

The gathered children agreed with her declaration wholeheartedly and steadily trickled out of the room. The Hufflepuffs left first, making sure to tell Harry again they would do their best to spread the truth to their House. The twins were next, rapidly exchanging half sentences as they planned out what pranks they would be able to commit if they had the ability to talk to snakes. Hermione followed behind, announcing that she wanted to know more about this Parseltongue business and beating a hasty retreat to the Library, with Melody who wanted to learn more on the subject too. The Crimson Vixens gave Harry a reassuring hug before taking their turn, promising Harry they would stick by him no matter what. Su gave Harry a nod and a look, assuring him that her loyalty was just as strong as theirs. Ember and Ginny left together, saying they were going to explore the castle.

Harry was left alone, and whilst he was happy his true friends didn't mind that he had such an ability, he was angry that the others were. More so that they were condemning him for something he had no control over, and thinking he wanted to kill Justin. He found himself in need to go to his time out room, as he jokingly called it, and blow off some steam.

**_o0OoO0o_**

It was a few hours later and Harry found himself thinking about his sex life, or the lack off at the moment. After overhearing the older boys bragging about what their accomplishments with their respective girlfriends, combined with Melody's not-so-subtle attempts to have sex again, topped off with his increasingly common wet dreams about finally taking several of his friends in erotic scenarios. Wasn't being helpful to his mood at the moment, if they were having sex or some other sort of sexual acts, Harry suspected his mood would be better.

Melody was not the only one to wanting sex, Lucy was also demanding for Harry to go further and have sex too. Harry's reluctance to be with Lucy was incredibly short lived. Harry had tried to argue that they were still brother and sister, but Lucy just stared at him with a dry, annoyed look before a car appeared in her hands, which she then threw at him, just to bring home how ludicrous the situation they were already in was. Whilst Lucy got what she wanted and Harry got to experience of sex, albeit probably not as pleasurable as real sex since his body, thus his brain, was unaware as to how to simulate it in his dreams. But it helped a bit, not much, but a bit.

As Harry was walking back to the Gryffindor Tower, he was pulled into an empty classroom where he found himself embraced in a hug by Melody. "Master are you alright?"

"A bit better Mel, not much, but a bit." Harry admitted to his Apprentice.

"It's going to be really difficult for you soon Master. Remember, your Apprentice is always here to help you vent your pent up anger." Melody whispered hotly in his ears.

Harry, having grown used to the girl's habits, merely grinned as he made a move of his own. Twirling the younger girl around he pushed her forward onto the nearest desk, one hand pulling her back by the hair and the other hiking up her skirt as he bent over her, returning her sexy promises with one of his own. "Of that, I have no doubt. An offer I plan to take you up on frequently once I find a room where people won't disturb us, we would be visiting it often."

Melody ground her panty clad crotch into the bulge she felt in his slacks, moaning excitedly at the order. "Fuck me, please!" She gasped, still terribly aroused by Harry's earlier humiliation of Draco.

"No." Harry said bluntly, freeing his erection from his pants and grinding it into the hollow between her thighs.

"Why? I'm begging for it, please!" Melody whined, shifting into her monster form, as a reflex to Harry pumping his length between her thighs. If she wasn't already busy she would be annoyed, or possibly aroused, that her monster form was only ever used for carnal pleasure these days. Aside from when she'd first showed him she hadn't used it more than a handful of times that didn't involve using her soft fur to get her Master off.

"Are you questioning me?" Harry hissed, pulling her head back further.

Melody hesitated, biting her lip as he stopped thrusting and held her in place. "Y… Yes." She finally answered.

"Good." He replied, casually pumping his hips again, his free hand gripping her tail. "I don't want a mindless, unquestioning toy. You're my Apprentice, given that position because you can think, never assume that I will be angry at you for questioning my actions, as long as it's in the right place." He explained. "As for why I haven't taken you again… well I haven't found a room where we won't get caught, and I don't want to get into trouble and I won't want others to find out about us. I could fuck you right now, I could move your panties to the side and bury myself to the hilt in your pussy in less time than it would take to repeat this sentence, but anyone could come looking for us and what then."

Melody's growing insecurities about his lack of forwardness being her fault were soothed by his words, her face growing warm as she was given evidence of just how much he cared for her. "I'll wait as long as you need, Master." she declared warmly, smiling back at him. "But know this, I don't care if we get caught or not I'm here for whenever you need a good fuck or need some sexual relief like I do." To make her point she pulled Harry's robes apart, to show he was not wearing anything, and asked with a smirk, "Going commando Master."

"Well what can I say, I don't like underwear, but…" but before Harry could say anymore, Melody was on her knees and sucking him off.

Feeling Melody's mouth around his cock, all his resistance about waiting to find a room crumbled, and as he put his hand around Melody's head, "Ahh fuck it! Forget the room." And with that, the two spent the next half an hour in the room, having a great time. By the time they finished, Harry felt so much better, much better than when he let of steam within the room that Dumbledore set up for him. It was then that unless Melody was unavailable, he would use the room, but otherwise, he would fuck his Apprentice whenever he could.

**_To be Continued!_**

**_Author's Note:_** Here ends the eighth part of The Serpent's Lair Saga, I would like to thank you once again for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and take a few moments to review. I also hope you read all of this note, as I would like your feedback on some things to help me out in the story.

This chapter is Beta Read, and the main reason for this is it is Christmas time, and so my Beta Readers are busy and so won't able to work on it. But as soon as they are done, I'll repost the chapter. Anyway, Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year. I hope you have a good one, and please review, as not only does it help me to get things better, but gives me the mood to write.

There has been a few who said that Harry was getting his way too often, sadly you are right, but so far I wasn't able to write in a way for him not to get his way. Most of the things he got his way with so far, was because it was within his rights, and so there was no other way but to get his way - or at least from what I could tell. You might think differently. But in this chapter, other than being Lockhart's forced to be his _assistant, _you see that he didn't get his way and was forced to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team's Seeker - where he won and joined. It is small yes, but it was something if Harry had any other option, he would do, as whilst he liked flying, he didn't like using brooms and so try and not to use them when he could.

(I would like to ask that if you got any other ideas for Harry not getting his way, please let me know. So you know, soon something big will happen, something that'll knock Harry for two, and knock down almost everything he built outside of Hogwarts and have him lose a few important people to him. But I still would like a few ideas for Harry not getting his way within Hogwarts.)

**If you are a sci-fi fan, I need your help, I'm a sucker for detail, and I'm writing a few sci-fi stories, but them stuck in some details, namely names of components used in armour and computers, got a few like Shock Absorber, HUDs and Exoskeleton, but I need so much more. So if you could give me a list, or a link to a site I could use, I would be really thankful if you could send me anything of use.**

**_A few question I would like your thoughts on:_**

**_Should I have the basilisk killed at the end of the saga or not? I say it is more useful to kill it for the money, but I would like to hear your thoughts about it. I'll go with the most outspoken thoughts. (Poll is up so you can vote on my profile and in reviews. I'll leave the poll up for about two/three chapters before I post the results.)_**

**_What pranks should Harry and the twins pull this year? I'm looking for ideas for both magical and non-magical ones. Right now, I'm looking for a prank that the Weasley Twins could pull on Harry to start a prank war between the three of them. Any ideas would be appreciated._**

**_It might be early, but I would like to ask for a title for the third year saga, it needs to be eighteen characters or less, including spaces. I hope that you can help me. It'll be the year that not only does Sirius escape Azkaban, but Lucy is 'born' and Harry goes to the Overlord's Tower._**

Just as a reminder, flame reviews from guests will be removed. If they point out a problem that needs to be fixed, or ideas that I could use to make the story better, I'll keep them, but keep it constructive. Please consider this when reviewing, as I don't want you to waste your time (or mine) on unhelpful flame reviews.

I would like to announce (for those that don't have alerts for my new stories) that I have posted a new story. This one is a Fairy Tail/Overlord story where Natsu is the Overlord. I won't say much, as I want you to read it for yourself, but it is an Evil/Harem/Powerful/Natsu. I'll be working on it's latest chapter next as I wait for ideas.

That said, I would like to thank you once again for reading, and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter. Feel free to offer up any ideas you might have for future chapters, and any powers you would like to see used in the story.

These are the titles that you lot give me so far, and the top titles that I like will be voted on after the next chapter, you have until I post the next chapter to give me more titles if you're able to think of better ones for the third year. DO NOT VOTE YET!

Top Titles:

Breaking Free

New Moon's Rise

Return of The Grim

Titles Not being voted on:

Overlord Ascending

The Breakouts

The Two Prisoners

Dark Awakening

Evil Finds A Way

Reborn and Rebirth

The Black Heart

The Birth of Black

Call of Fear

The Face of Fear

Towers and Prisons

The rise Commences

The Overlord's Lair

Life, Death and Power

**_Next on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:_** Two Time skips! We see the aftermath of people learning about Harry being a Parselmouth, and Daphne and her group joins Harry and his group. The next time skip we see the first Quidditch of the year.

_Omake By Cody Everett_

_SAND-FORTRESS OF DOOM_

"And that is how you make a sandcastle!" Hermione's cheery voice said from where she sat in the sand, a basic looking sandcastle in front of her.

It was a few days after his second encounter with Gabrielle and Harry was hanging out with Hermione and Melody on the beach. With nothing better to do, the siblings had decided to teach Harry how to build a sandcastle. Hermione's sandcastle was just a couple walls, with circular towers. Melody had decided on more of a moral support role from her position a few feet away, buried in the sand. (And shaped like a very curvaceous mermaid)

Giving the castle a curious look, Harry 'hmmed' as he said, "I think I get it. You just pack the sand together into shapes and then sculpt it into what you want, right?"

Hermione nodded her head. "Right."

'Hmmm-ing' once again, Harry looked to a clear space in front of him as Hermione went back to her castle. If she'd stayed facing Harry for a few more moments she would have seen the maniacal glint in Harry's eye.

**_\- - A Couple Hours Later - -_**

Putting the finishing touches on her now elaborate castle, Hermione turned to see how Harry was doing with his. She wasn't expecting much, as it was his first time making one, so she was understandably surprised when she turned around. Her jaw dropped as she took in the looming form, unable to make words. From where she was still laying, Melody turned her head and had much the same expression.

Where once there had been nothing but sand, there was now an intimidating fortress, as big as a house. The large gates were decorated with beasts and from the walls jutted wooden sticks decorated with seashells sculpted to look like skulls. At the top of the walls were sand-constructed, honest to God, cannons.

And in front of this ominous looking construction stood a grinning Harry, leaning on a sign that read: HARRY'S SAND-FORTRESS OF DOOM. BEWARE!

Still grinning, Harry said, "Well, now you have a castle, and I have a castle. You should know what happens next." As he finished saying that, one of the wall mounted cannons seemed to move, fixing itself on Hermione's small, feeble, and utterly defenceless castle.

Hermione promptly decided it was best to get out of the way…

**Beta's Note:**

_"Yawning and shivering slightly, Harry climbed out of bed and tried to find his Quidditch robes. Deciding it was better to do this, the other option was to kill the fool, and that would mean trying to find a place to hide the body quickly. And he didn't want his first human kill, to be this fool, that right belonged to Dan Granger. Which Harry was still planning, he had the basic idea, but he needed a way out of Hogwarts, until he could find a way out, he couldn't do much right now. Although, he could ask a few question at the casinos, they seemed to be full of food, so they might know a way out of Hogwarts without being seen." _

If you don't Understand that little bit, let me clarify… He means that since the Casinos have food in there, they must have a way to get it in and out… so he wants to ask around in the casinos about that.


	28. Chapter 25: The Serpent's Lair - Part 9

_'Thoughts!'_

_§ 'Parseltongue!' §_

_**Chapter Twenty-Five**_

_**The Serpent's Lair - Part 9!**_

_**(Chamber of Secrets!)**_

_10th of October:_

It was late Wednesday afternoon, and Harry and his Study Group were in the school library doing their homework for the day. Over the last few days, as expected, there were rumours already spreading about him being the next Dark Lord. Some believe that it was the reason why You-Know-Who went after him as a child, to stop him before he took You-Know-Who's place as a more powerful Dark Lord. Those who weren't close to Harry within the Study Group were slowly leaving the group, not wanting to risk rumours of them being something like the Death Eaters.

Although they did try and counter the fact that Harry wasn't a Dark Lord in training: Cedric tried to convince the Hufflepuffs that Harry was a good person, and he was only trying to help Justin. Cedric was able to convince half of them that Harry was trying to help, but the other half - and Justin himself - were stubborn and wouldn't listen, hanging onto the belief that Harry was goading the snake.

Holly Halliwell though, whilst she believed that Harry was helping the boy, was still giving Harry dark looks for some reason that Harry couldn't explain. But not wanting there to be a problem that could raise questions if he didn't do something, asked why she was there and why was she giving him dark looks. All she said was that she knew that he didn't attack Justin, and the reason that she was there was none of his business, and whilst he didn't attack Justin, she didn't trust him. Something that Harry wasn't happy about, he had hoped to learn more, but whatever she was up to, she was keeping it to herself.

As for the 'Claws and the Snakes, other than Su Li, they had no one to back Harry up within the group, Su was somewhat an Outcast in her house as she didn't speak up much. As for the Slytherins, they didn't care much, in fact they were somewhat insulted that Harry was a Parselmouth. After all, he was the Boy-Who-Lived.

As for Ron, Harry, whilst there were a few rough spots, he thought that they were rebuilding their friendship, or at least that's what he wanted Dumbledore to think. As Harry wanted the old man to think they were rebuilding the friendship, as Harry suspected that the reason Ron came to apologize to him and Hermione, was because of the Headmaster.

The main problem was that Ron tended to whine about their study habits, something that earned him quite a few indignant glares. As unlike Ron, they knew that they had to study hard to get somewhere in the world. He just hoped that Ron wouldn't ruin it too much for them.

To cheer himself up, he played his first prank of the year, he had the House-Elves to put a potion in all the drinks that would change the person's hair and skin colour to their House Colour. Something that got a few laughs.

And today he got a letter from the people from those who were working on the Mystic Comic, sadly they had problems over the summer and they couldn't put the comics on sale when they wanted to. But today's letter stated that it would be on sale this weekend, which made Harry happy, as it was another source of money coming to him, a _legit _income of money.

It was about fifteen minutes into doing their homework when Melody entered the library. And to the shock to the others, she wasn't alone. She was with Luna Lovegood. The two were happily conversing about, once they got close enough to be heard, magic and how people viewed it. Melody was happily sharing her beliefs about how it was a shame that more people didn't dig deeper while Luna nodded happily along with her.

"Hi Mel, I see you brought a guest with you," Harry said with a smile, "Hey Luna, I hope you're fine."

"Yeah Luna and I have been friends for a week now, shortly after you rescued her." Melody revealed with a smile of her own, "and I thought to bring her to our Group since she doesn't seem to care about the snake business."

Luna shook her head, cheerfully stating, "Oh no, I don't get what all the fuss is about. It's not like snakes talk about taking over the world." She looked suspiciously around before she leaned in and whispered, "That's what Owl's do!"

Harry laughed, finding the mental image of Supreme Commander Hedwig with a swagger stick in her mouth furiously barking out commands and slapping the stick against the map she'd set up with the attack plan on it, directing her troops to take over the US for their plentiful livestock. So many pigs, so much bacon…

"Happy to have you on board, please, take a seat." He gestured towards where Melody normally sat, where two convenient seats were free for the two.

Seeing Ginny, Luna said, "Hey Ginevra, nice to see you again, been a while."

"Luna." Ginny greeted the girl with a smile and a sigh, no matter how many times she asked her not to, Luna would greet her by her birth name. Ginny was part of the group because of Ember, whilst she was part of the group, she still would blush and act shy around Harry. "Good to see you too, how is your mother."

"She is good, she would like to see you again." Luna told her old friend.

"I would like that, I'll try and see her over the summer holidays." Ginny told her with a smile. And without another word, the group begun to do with homework, helping each other out when they needed help.

It was about an hour later, and by this time the rest of Harry's close friends joined them. It was about this time when Harry looked up and saw Cho walking into the library and walk towards them. As she got to their table, Harry asked coldly, "What do you want, Chang." He didn't forgive how she treated Luna.

"I came to apologize to Lovegood." Cho said immediately. "I know I shouldn't have taken it out on her but I was frustrated. I just hit the age when my family thinks I'm old enough to deal with my own marriage offers."

"But you're only what, thirteen?" A confused Hermione interrupted, "you're not old enough to marry!"

"In the Muggle World you would be right, Hermione Granger was it?" Cho asked, to which Hermione nodded, "In the Magical World the practice never died out because people want to preserve their lines. While I'm not the most popular of choices due to my 'filthy foreigner blood' I can still trace my family line back longer than most of the English Pureblood families combined." Cho joked, a vindictive smirk on her attractive face.

"That's… that's wrong though!" Hermione insisted.

Before she could build up any steam Harry suddenly cut her off. "Hermione, we've talked about this. We're in the Magical World, not the Muggle one, things are different here."

The bushy haired girl deflated, sighing in exasperation as she caught what she was about to do. "Right. It's irritating, but at least it's a logical practice, at least from their perspective." She admitted with a clearer head.

"Thanks Harry, I'm just lucky my father delights in watching me deny them. Unfortunately that means I'm forced to write the denial letter, which he insists upon reading. My family doesn't have any pre existing contracts so I wasn't forced to accept any of them. I really love that my parents want me to marry for love, instead of forcing me into one to further their own interests, but the downside to that is the wording needs to be ironclad or someone could claim that I accepted their proposal because I wasn't clear enough. I know it wasn't acceptable for me to bully Lovegood, but with my extra class load with Healing, Symbology, Runes, Arithmancy and Care on top of the constant letters… I chose the worst possible outlet for my stress."

Harry looked somewhat doubtful about that, but that only lasted until Angelina put her thoughts forward, "I know where she's coming from, I had to start doing that two years back. Remember how I was back then, Alicia, Katie? It was Katie's first year." She asked her fellow Chasers.

"Oh yeah, she was a real bitch for a few months." Alicia revealed impishly.

Katie smirked and made her own addition. "Hell of a start for my first year, She was snapping at everyone. I'm a half-blood, and my father's a Pureblood by only a few generations with comparatively little money, power, business investment or anything of interest to other Purebloods. So I didn't have any of those problems." Katie explained with a grateful expression.

"Same for me, my family didn't have any already active, so I got to choose." Alicia explained. "I only had a few, so it was never much of an issue for me."

"Lucky Bitch." Angelina muttered, "My dad works in the Ministry, so there were quite a few people who wanted to marry me so they could ask favours from my dad. I still have loads of them to wade through and when Cho means you need exact wording she isn't kidding, they are a bitch to do."

Harry felt sorry for the girls, but at least it was just a hassle and not a life ruining event. Hearing about this did make him wonder about his other magically raised female friends. "So what about you five?" asked Harry, as he looked at Susan, Hannah, Su, Ginny and Luna.

Hannah was the first to speak, "I'm in the same boat as Katie." She said with a proud smile, "My father has a good business going, but it isn't as good as others out there. No active contracts, so I shouldn't have any problems like the others."

Su was next. The entire group turned their attention to her, since this was a question she couldn't hope to answer in a short reply. "Father is a highly respected official. He deals with the contracts from home, while I deal with the English contracts. One existing contract activated upon my birth, but it has been dealt with."

"Dealt with?" Harry asked curiously, he was shocked how much he liked her soft voice. He really thought she should talk more.

Su's calm expression showed a hint of something; irritation with a tinge of smug satisfaction. "Yes. My suitor decided I was weak and vulnerable, due to my physical stature and tried to lay his hands upon me. I decided he didn't deserve to keep them."

Harry was more surprised of Su's vindictive little smirk, then he was by the groups female members applauding, which was promptly shushed by Madame Pince.

"You really should talk more, Su," Harry told the young girl, "you got a sweet soft voice." At this there was some 'here, here,' from the group, and Su blushing a bit.

Luna spoke next, her normally cheerful attitude still present despite the situation. "I don't get very many, though the Lovegood family is quite old. My mother prefers to deal with them because she enjoys throwing them into the fireplace and claiming they never arrived. And unless they can prove we got them, we don't have to do anything and they can't do anything to us."

"I like that method." Harry blurted.

Hermione patted him on the back, sending him a sly smile. "Of course you would."

"What?" Harry asked innocently, only prompting the group to laugh harder.

Susan spoke next after the noise had settled down, "My aunt is still dealing with them, but with her job already being busy, she's the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." She clarified for those who didn't know. "With her new arm and returning to work, I expect they'll be shunted off to me sooner rather than later to save her some work. My aunt suspects that there's at least one active contract for me to fulfil. If it exists, I'll be able to look at it when I turn thirteen next year. If it's inescapable I'll be married before I turn seventeen."

The group was silent, the mood now slightly depressed at their friends possible fate. "Well at least there's a chance it doesn't exist, so it's not set in stone or anything."

Su added her own thoughts, slipping back into her normal speech patterns, but still with a blush. "Fight."

Susan smiled brightly at them, her mood lightened a good deal. "Thank you. I'm not sure if we have a law in place to do such a thing in Magical Britain, Su, but I think I'll be sending a letter to my aunt to ask very soon."

Before any of them could say more a beautiful blonde in Slytherin robes came up to them and asked, "Excuse me, but may I talk to Potter alone please."

"And you are?" Harry inquired.

"Forgive me, I'm Heiress Daphne Greengrass." Daphne answered. She could have almost hit herself for forgetting her manners, she was raised to be a proper Pureblood, and here she was, not following decorum. "And I would like to talk to you, Heir Potter, about something private." Those who had Pureblood parents, or an aunt in Susan's case, gasped or reacted in some manner of shock. Daphne's use to titles was a very good indicator she wanted to talk about something serious.

"Not to be rude, but what would a Slytherin want to talk to me about?" asked Harry, then realizing where he heard the name before, "And the infamous Ice Princess at that?" He questioned further as he finally placed her name. Not only did he know the name because of her reparticion at Hogwarts, but because of her father.

As Maverick, Lord Cyrus Greengrass borrowed money from him, the money was for his business adventure, which was to breed, train and sell Hippogriffs. Cyrus saw work horses in the Muggle World when he was younger, and realized that they could use Hippogriffs to do some of the same jobs as the work horses, like in farming and pulling carriage, which some would be able to fly. And whilst like Mr. Darkstar, Lord Greengrass was behind in his debt, but unlike Darkstar, Greengrass was a Lord and wasn't as far behind in his debts like Darkstar. But giving a Lord a bit of lire way, would be useful in the future.

"Harry!" The Pureblood raised children hissed at him.

"His reaction is understandable, I understand his reasoning." Daphne waved it off. "The louder factions of Slytherin have made the entire school distrustful of all of us. I was going to suggest we move a few tables down; out of casual hearing distance, but close enough that you all can see I'm not doing anything untoward. Is this acceptable, Heir Potter?"

Harry's interest was peaked, judging by his friends' reaction this was apparently sort of a big deal, so he nodded and stood up, "Alright Greengrass, we'll talk. I hope some part of this chat will involve you telling me why you're calling me Heir Potter, although I might have a rough idea why you are."

Daphne smiled to herself, this was easier than she thought it would be. Potter didn't hate Slytherins on principle at least, something she wouldn't have blamed him for but would have made her job difficult. "Thank you Heir Potter."She said simply.

With that Daphne and Harry moved down a few tables while Harry's friends were left whispering to each other about what was going on.

_**o0OoO0o**_

"Explain." Harry said simply, he might be interested in what the 'Ice Princess' had to say, but that didn't mean he had all day to do so, he had other things he could be doing, Melody, for instance, was one of the things he could be doing.

Seeing that Harry wasn't going to humor her if she tried to beat around the bush, Daphne started, "Since I can safely assume you don't know about your status as the Potter Heir I think it would be best to start there. First off, tell me, do you know anything about your Heritage?"

Since she didn't phrase or say it condescendingly, Harry had no reason to get snarky. "No, probably not in the context you're alluding to. " He answered easily. "All I know is that I've got a Family Vault I can look in on when I become of age at seventeen, and have a few seats on the Wizengamot, which I don't know much about." An annoyed look crossed his face as he muttered, more to himself, "I really do need to research the Wizengamot and Pureblood Traditions, I keep meaning to but it slips my mind."

"Simplistic, but not a wrong answer per se." She answered. "The truth is the Potter family is an exceptionally old family and had quite a bit of power in the political world. Your family has a knack for being in the right place at the right time and having the guts to do what they need to do. It's earned a lot of enemies, but it's also earned more gold and even Wizengamot seats than any other single family. You're a very powerful person, not just magically, but politically as well."

"And so you wish to use this power somehow, how…?" Harry realized why the 'Ice Princess' of Slytherin wanting to talk to him.

She didn't bat an eye at his assumption, considering his assumption was correct she moved on to confirmation. "Protection."

"Huh?" He blurted at the sudden answer.

"Whilst being in Slytherin has it own risks, depending on who you are and who you know, it's slowly becoming more dangerous for me and my friends." Daphne explained to Harry honestly. She knew if she lied to him she wouldn't get his protection and a few other things she wanted from Harry. "You see, the Malfoys are an old family, and have accumulated quite a bit of political power. Without someone to stop them, namely you and the Longbottoms, the next oldest family still around, they have free run over England.

"The point is, Draco's family has a lot of power, most of the older Slytherins do as he says because they fear what his father would do to them and their family. Not nearly as many as he would like, but that's what he gets for being so whiny, blustering on about getting you in trouble all the time. Frankly most have just stopped caring and ignore him. However, he is swaying the impressionable younger years, with his preaching of the 'Purebloods are best' dogma and appealing to their juvenile delusions." She explained. "He's getting older and more arrogant, wanting to prove he's in control. Predictably, he's putting pressure on the neutral factions, of which my friends and I are a part of; this is where you come in. Being seen with you will give us a measure of protection. Draco may be a moron, but the rest of our House know it's a bad idea to earn the ire of the Potters."

Harry was silent for a few moments as he worked the pros and cons over in his mind; so far they were equal. But there was one thing that bothered him, and so he asked, "What about Anastasia Lestrange? Why not go to her? She is Draco's cousin after all, and not only is Draco afraid of her, from what I have learnt about her, everyone is afraid of her mother. So why don't you go to her for help?"

"You're right, many of those in Slytherin are terrified of the Lestranges, and so no one would dare to bother or mistreat Lestrange." Daphne explained to Harry, before she went on to say with a sigh, "But the thing is that she wants nothing to do with us, she says she has better things to do than helping us. Not surprising really, most Slytherins look out for their own, and do whatever best interest them. Which is why we came to you, whilst she has the fear down right, if someone really had the guts they could go after her through political ways. Which is why is why we came to you, as if you work it right, you can have more political power than the Malfoys."

"Say I do this, you get protection and whatever else comes from being friends with me, benefits I will admit I'm mostly ignorant of, but if you get all this, what do I get?" Harry confronted her, "I'm a Parselmouth, and a few people have already started thinking that I'm a Dark Wizard or soon will be at any rate. But should I agree to help you, it wouldn't look good if I suddenly become friends with a few Slytherins; makes it far easier than I'm comfortable with for the idiots that fill the larger portion of the beds in this school to jump to conclusions. My plan is to keep my head down until they all move onto the next big gossip bait, said plan is shot if I take you and your friends in. So once again I ask you this, what do I get out of this should I help you."

Daphne smiled; it seemed that there was more to Harry then met the eye, it may have just been mostly based around survival, but Harry had a Slytherin side. She really had her work cut out for her in one of her goals then. "Aside from teaching you all about the Wizengamot, I know of a mental discipline called Occlumency."

"So do I, otherwise there would be a few people who would be nothing but ash by now." Harry smirked at the Slytherin, who was shocked at this. "As not only does it grant me a number of abilities; better memory recall, easier memorization, the it also guards my mind from those who can use Legilimency, which is useful because of Snape and Dumbledore wanting to know what I'm up to. I was planning to teach my friends who don't know it this year."

Now Daphne knew that there was more to Harry Potter than meet the eye, to know about Occlumency, as there were only two ways in learning Occlumency, someone teaching you it or learning it in books. Seeing that such books were banned from Hogwarts and most shops, it was unlikely for Potter to learn Occlumency from books, which lead to someone teaching him. And who knows what else that person might have taught the Boy-Who-Lived. Daphne sighed, it would seem that it wasn't going to be easy to get the Potter Heir on her side. Then a thought occurred to her, and hoping for the best, she said, "I know the basics of Legilimency, so I could teach you, and only you, how to use it."

This caught Harry's interest, as it was something that Harry wanted to learn for a bit, but never got around into learning it. As it was an useful skill to have, as he could find information on others. As he was thinking about this, Daphne added, "I would also be more than happy to teach you about how to wield that political power I was talking about before, and teach you and your friends about the Pureblood Traditions not just about the who's who of the Wizengamot." _**(A/N: Don't normally do this, but I would like to ask for stories that has Pureblood Traditions in them, please leave them in the review.) **_

That pretty much sealed it for Harry, as he needed to know how the Wizengamot ran, and knowing about the Pureblood Traditions could help him greatly. As knowing these things would help him control the Purebloods, or at the very least get them on his side. Come what may, Daphne's offer was just too good to let the school's increased ire make him refuse. "Alright, welcome to the Study Group. Well, those of us who aren't afraid of the fact that I can hiss better than most." He joked as he extended a hand.

Daphne inwardly smirked, she got a small part of what she wanted and now she would need to work on Harry to get the rest. But for now…"Well put, but don't think we'll be turned away by it, Blaise may even find it attractive…" She said with her first show of solid emotion as she smiled mischievously.

Aside from a brief confused look - which disappeared when he met Blaize and became aware of his preference in partners - the rest of the evening was spent doing homework and getting to know their newest additions.

_**o0OoO0o**_

_31st of October:_

It was once again a late Wednesday afternoon, and people were relaxing before they headed down to the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast, although he and the others had other plans. Harry and the rest of his Gryffindor friends were either like Melody and Hermione reading, or like Ember and Ginny playing a game of Exploding Snap or another game. As for Harry he was reading a few notes for his classes as he thought about the last three weeks.

It had been somewhat bothersome, he knew that when the Mystic Comics about him came out, he would have fans coming after him to get the comics signed by him. It would seem that there was more into the Boy-Who-Lived than he suspected, as he couldn't enter the Great Hall or walk down a corridor without having someone coming up to them and asking him to sign their comic. He had to take hidden shortcuts to get away from them.

Harry shook his head as he thought about it. Because he was a Parselmouth, many thought of him as a Dark Lord in training. But when the comics came out, apart for a few, he was the hero again and they wanted his signature. Harry was amused though, Lockhart seemed to be put out about it all, as at the moment Harry was getting more lime light than he was, be it good or bad. And he stopped using Harry for his re-enactment, something Harry was happy about. But Holly was giving him more intense dark looks, and there was nothing Harry could do about it.

When he wasn't being stalked by his fans, he was fucking Melody or training with his friends. Talking about training, at long last Melody, Hermione and he restarted their personal training, learning what they could about the powers they wanted to learn. The only one of their friends that they asked to join them was Ember, as she was a Mystic and knew how to learn something like what they were trying to do. She would sometimes come, but often enough decide spend time with Ginny. Harry found this strange, but Hermione put it down to her wanting to spend time with her new friend, and getting to know new people, which wasn't a bad thing. Harry wasn't sure about this, but for the better of him, he decided to let her be for now.

They didn't ask the others to join them yet, as they didn't know if they could do the same as them, as they heavily relied on their wands and weren't sure if they were able to do what Harry and others could. Harry and the girls decided until they knew what they were doing, they would not ask their friends to join them until they knew what they were doing themselves.

Not only that, but during the nights Harry and Lucy were making plans in killing Daniel Granger. They were able to find a way to get out of Hogwarts during the weekend, seeing that most of the time he spent training alone in the afternoons, so no one would find it strange for him to disappear for a few hours, as they would think he was training. The only thing they needed to come up with now was how to kill Dan, they had a few ideas, they just needed a few more days before deciding what to do. The plan was to make it look like an accident, so that his death wouldn't be looked into too much.

Harry also sent a letter to his Account Manger at Gringotts, about getting money to get some new brooms for Hogwarts. He did this not to get into the good books of the fools who thought him as a Dark Lord in training, but to piss off the Slytherin Quidditch Team. If they thought they would have an easy time at it, he was going to show them how wrong they were. Harry was glad to learn that thanks to the money coming from the comics, and some coming from his Trust Vault, he was able to buy some new brooms too.

Sure they weren't Nimbus 2001's, but from what he was told, for non-professional players, they were over the top brooms and the most dangerous brooms to use. So Gringotts sent some older model brooms that were considered to be safe, reliable and good brooms for the first years to learn on. And for the Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor Quidditch Teams, they were sent professional grade Quidditch Brooms, each engraved with the House and the position on the handle. The Seeker and the Chaser positions received Nimbus 2000's, for their superior acceleration and handling. The Beater positions received Cleansweep Sevens, which had close to the accelerations and handling of the Nimbus but were a more stable platform from which to strike the Bludger. The Keeper position received a Comet 260, which caused a bit of an uproar until two of the Quidditch Keepers noted that the Comet 260's were very stable brooms and, while they did not have the top speed of the Nimbus or the Cleansweep, Keepers did not need fast top speeds instead needed quick bursts of speed between the goals which the Comet did very well.

This upset the Slytherin Quidditch Team a lot, whilst they had the faster brooms, the other teams got the professional grade Quidditch Brooms. Now the games would be who was more skilled, and not on who was faster, so it meant the Slytherins would need to train even more if they wanted to win any of their Quidditch games.

As for the Slytherins that joined the group, things went as suspected. Those in Gryffindor, other than those close to him, looked at him weary, and there were whispers behind his back - but Harry was suspecting that from the fools. The Weasley Twins, Katie, Ember, Hermione, Melody and Ginny welcomed them warmly. Although Ginny was a bit weary of them, but Harry suspected it was because of the stories that Ron might give her along with how her parents might think of them. Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson, Katie's friends from the Gryffindor Quidditch team, seemed to treat them with respect, as long as they didn't do anything to hurt their friend. Su and Luna were more than happy to let them join their group. Cedric, in true Hufflepuff fashion, had been the first to welcome the Slytherins in with just Harry's word to back them up, Susan was the same, but Hannah was a bit unsure about them, but was willing to welcome them.

Blaize found a fast friend in the older Hufflepuff, while Tracey seemed to drift from person to person, testing the waters with them all, but never quite finding the correct person for her to bond with in a close friendship. Daphne herself stuck by his side, a position Harry was happy to encourage due to her lessons in Legilimency and teaching him about the Pureblood Traditions and about the Wizengamot.

Blaize being openly gay was a bit of a change, and Harry was at first a bit uncomfortable when Blaize started hitting on him. He had backed off quickly and assured Harry it was all in good fun, it was just the way he was around people he trusted. Being sheltered in the Slytherin House, had lead him to being rather repressed. So after a while Harry just got used to it; it made Blaize happy so he didn't mind so much.

Harry was interested to find that, while Blaize's tastes were generally discouraged in the Magical World - though the older families like the Malfoys who followed the old ways greatly discouraged it. Being gay meant that they couldn't continue their family line, and so any men that felt they were attracted to other men didn't admit it publicly, lest they be disowned. There were a few that would beat the people that were found out to be gay, sometimes to their death. Luckily the number of people with this belief were dying out, the families with children that still believe in the old way in Hogwarts were all in Slytherin, hence why Blaize was having problems.

Blaize wasn't obligated to continue the Zabini name because he had an older sister. Blaise had confided in them that he sometimes wondered if his infamous older sister even existed though, because she was constantly hidden away, possibly hiding from their mother, whose husbands were known to have… accidents.

Female/female relationships were also equally discouraged, unless the two women were married to the same man - in which case it was encouraged. Harry chuckled at the double standards, but really wasn't all that surprised.

As for learning about Pureblood Traditions, Harry learnt that the main reason people like the Weasleys were called Blood Traitors, wasn't only because of them siding with the Muggles and Muggleborns, but because they were Anti-Traditionalist, and wanted nothing to do with the Pureblood Traditions. Susan and rest of them were considered as Non-Traditionalist, whilst they don't agree with the Traditions, they won't against those who were traditionalist, unlike Anti-Traditionalist were

And the reason that Muggleborns were frowned upon, belittle their Traditions, and think they could do better. From Harry's point of few he could understand their feelings, for a long time they lived with Traditions, and for them to change, is something they find hard, as they find order with Tradition and without it, their lives could become chaos. They blamed Dumbledore, who was trying to make Muggleborns more welcomed in the Wizarding World.

What Harry couldn't understand was the fact that the Muggleborns were so against the Pureblood Traditions, as they seemed to accept other countries traditions and cultures as long as they didn't harm or kill a person - so why wouldn't they accept the Pureblood Traditions. Sure with the so called slavery with the House-Elves, they would be a bit off with the culture. But like Hermione, once they explained _why _House-Elves were bonded to a family and didn't get money, whilst they might not like it, it would be at least more accepting. Harry, not for the first time, wondered why this sort of thing wasn't taught at Hogwarts, as if they did, he suspected there would be less problems, and maybe a few might follow some of the Pureblood Traditions.

One of the things that Daphne taught Harry and the others so far was the basics, how great someone who was a Traditionalist, which was Merry Meet and as a goodbye, it was Merry Part. She also taught them how to bow, it was different to each person, friends, allies and sign of respect to those you don't like or know, and those who were higher standing than you. Daphne told them which people they should do this too. She also taught him how to write with a quill properly, whilst it wasn't too bad for a normal person, for someone who was from a Most Ancient and Noble House, it was a bit of an embarrassment.

Daphne told them that most of the Slytherins, were traditionalists, and so because of the standing that Malfoy had, they all had to bow to him. It was Hermione who asked, if there was anyone Malfoy had to bow to, and why no one in the Great Hall had done it before now? It would be something that Malfoy would want.

Daphne explained no one bowed out of self-preservation, as people like in Gryffindor would hate it, as most were Anti-Traditionalist, and so they don't bow so not to cause too much of a stir. And those who Malfoy would have to bow to, there was about twenty-three of them, the only one at Hogwarts who he would have to bow to, was Harry. Harry had fun with this, as one day when Draco decided to make his appearance to try and pick a fight, Harry shocked him by greeting him in the Pureblood way, and when Draco didn't reply back in such a way that a so called Pureblood should, Harry said that he was disappointed with him and if he didn't go away he would write to his father and tell him about it.

This made Draco go red in the face, as he didn't like being told how to act by a Half-Blood. But at the same time, with the Potter House being a Higher House than the Malfoys, the Malfoy Heir knew he couldn't do anything, at least with so many witness. So red faced and embarrassed Draco left the Great Hall. Since than Draco didn't go near Harry and his friends, not now that the Boy-Who-Lived seemed to know about the Pureblood Traditions.

Then when Harry shrugged one time, Daphne also informed them that he shouldn't shrug, in fact if they were going to spend time with him, they shouldn't either, as it was unbecoming. She also informed Harry that he should say he guessed, he needs to be decisive seeing he would be the new Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter.

Other than the Pureblood Traditions, he learnt a bit about the Wizengamot. Harry learnt that there was seventy-seven seats, the first ten seats were for the following: the Minister, Head of Auror-department, Office for Misuse of Magic, Head of the Unspeakables, Head of International Cooperation, Head Warden of Azkaban, Head-Auror, Head of St. Mungo, Senior Undersecretary. Then there was the ten seat for who got the Order of Merlin First Class, at the moment there were only three people who had these seats. Then if there was any, there's six seats for ambassadors, so far there was only one person with a seat was Ambassador Chang. The rest was because of the way England was run, it was hard to gain a seat because of the belief that most in Wizengamot had.

Then there were twenty-eight seats for the Noble Houses, those who were rich but been in Britain for less than a thousand years. Sadly there were a few that no longer had anyone to take over them, either because the House was extinct, or the Heir/Lord was defunct due to either being a Dark Creature, or was in Azkaban. Then there was the sixteen seats of the Ancient Houses, Houses who have been in Britain for more than a thousand years, but lost their riches. Lastly there was the last six seats, Ancient and Noble Houses, these were those who lived more than fifteen hundred years in Britain and who were extremely rich and possibly founders of the Wizengamot.

Daphne told them that the main jobs that the Wizengamot had were the following: trials for all people who committed crimes of a certain seriousness (Murder, Rape, Line-theft, etc.) International trading with other countries allowing or forbidding (Meaning if they allow the goods of certain countries to enter Britain; for instance the law against flying Carpets, or certain magical creatures like Dragons) They were also responsible for the creation and removal of Laws (both concerning Magical Creatures and Wizards.) Finally they are the Emergency War-Council in case of a Magical War like what Grindelwald did in World War Two.

Other than learning Traditions and Wizengamot, he and those who did know about Occlumency, started to teach those who didn't. Harry learnt with Daphne, the rest of the Slytherin group already knew Occlumency, along with the Hufflepuffs other than Hannah knew it too. Although Susan had learned it when she was very little and hadn't kept very up to date with it. Surprisingly, or maybe not if they thought about it, the Weasley Twins knew it, it would explain why they didn't get caught by Snape. The only other person who knew it was Su Li.

Daphne at the start wanted to check Harry's own shield, to see how good they were, and was shocked to see what she found.

It was a hellish like place, it started of within a huge cavern, with fire, brimstone, and lava everywhere, and in the centre of it was a small island, with a statue of Harry himself. In the centre of the island was a ten-foot pyramid with a flat top, placing it where the throne once was with the throne atop it - the throne was made of charred bone, red silk cushions and some kind of red leather for accents. Steps made up of fake memories were marked by more torches, leading the way up to the throne. Around it were thin, five-foot obsidian pillars placed at each corner, a warm glow emanating from the lava running through their cores.

Daphne saw bridges going into the entrances of the cavern, although the entrances were blocked by gates, which she suspected was where Harry hid his memories. Guarding the gates looked like what Daphne thought was magma, with arms and legs of fire. Harry informed Daphne later, that he added them just recently.

Daphne was impressed at his mindscape, although for a split second, she thought she saw a girl with black hair smirking at her. But in that mere second of seeing her, the girl was gone. She didn't know what it was, but whatever it was, it gave her the creeps. When she came out of the mindscape, she asked Harry that should someone get past the imps and the gates, what was protecting his memories.

But Potter would only smirk as he said that it was nearly impossible to get through the gates, as the switches to them were hidden so unless they could find them, no one could get to this memories. And by some chance someone was able to get past the guards and the gates, there were other things protecting his memories, like a maze and red vines, where should someone touch them, they would lunge forward to try and impale them. That was just two of the things protecting them, and it wasn't where his most important memories were, they were hidden somewhere else all together.

Daphne had to admit that she was _really_ impressed, whoever taught him, taught Harry well, as he had impressive shields, and defenses, anyone who tried to enter his mind would have a few problems. Making it hellish was off putting at first, but that would be enough to push most people out of his mind before they knew what was going on. And should they try again, they would have to find a way past the imps and the gates and whatever else was on those caves. And then if they found out that the important memories weren't in the cave, they would have to find them and they could be anywhere.

Occlumency was a slow skill to learn, especially at first, but they were getting a solid grasp on the basics and already were seeing some minor improvement in their mental prowess. Although both Ginny and Ember stopped after a few lessons, saying they found it too hard as if something was blocking them. Daphne explained that it happens from time to time, the mind wasn't ready, as they had to face memories and/or feelings that they weren't ready to face for whatever reason and so they should give the two time to deal with whatever is stopping them from learning Occlumency themselves, and be there when they asked for help.

Hermione, Melody and the others could all feel when Daphne was using Legilimency on them, but the Ice Princess warned them that she only allowed herself to be felt, there are those who could enter a person's mind without them knowing. Melody was very worried about what Daphne would learn, and Harry was the same, as she could learn things about him that he didn't want her to know and use against him. But they didn't have to worry though, as Daphne made a vow not to tell anyone what she found in their minds, nor use it against them before she used Legilimency on them.

When Hermione and the others learnt about Harry's mindscape, they wanted to learn the same. But Daphne told them that it was advanced Occlumency, and would be some time before they could learn it. But she told them that once they knew the basics, and she knew they could handle it, she would teach them how to create a mindscape like Harry's.

What shocked Daphne when she entered Melody's mind, was what the Boy-Who-Lived was like, he was nothing he portrayed himself as. From Melody's memories, she saw that Potter was much more cunning and darker than anyone would take him as. He wanted to become some kind of super powerful Dark Lord known as the Overlord. And it seemed that he wasn't all talk either. He had power, power that he didn't show to the rest of the world and he was looking to gain more power too. And as a Mystic, he was learning it in ways others in the Wizarding World didn't think about.

It would seem that Harry Potter was going after the same goal as she, and from the young Granger's mind, she didn't think she had seen everything that her _Master _could do yet. From just seeing these memories, Potter had a better chance at taking over the world than she did. As she thought about it, having the Overlord's Wand, and his Gauntlet, if the Gauntlet was real, then Harry Potter could have much a better chance.

But what of her own plans, she questioned herself, should she give up seeing that there might be someone better for the job? No it wasn't the Slytherin way, she would need to find a way around this. But still, if the Boy-Who-Lived wanted to become the like the Overlord, and had two of his items, things just got interesting. The Greengrass Family knew a bit about the Overlords, in fact they tried to get anything related to the Overlord for themselves, in the hopes that one day one of their own would become the next. In fact they had a chest that could only be opened by the current Overlord.

With Potter having two items belonging to the Overlord, it is very likely that he could be the new Overlord and might not even know it. But at the same time it could be sheer luck that he had these items. Daphne knew she had to find out, one way or another, and knew she had to talk to her father soon.

As for Cho, after dealing with the denial letters that she had to send out, she had become more friendly. She helped to make sure Luna was fine and no more bullies popped up to bother her. She dropped by occasionally, but never really bonded with anybody in the group. Harry was just glad she seemed to be smarter than the rest of the school.

Harry found Luna a bit strange, yes, but she was lonely and it was readily apparent with a little searching that all she wanted was a friend, and once he, Hermione and Melody earned that place in her life her cheerful demeanor became a lot more genuine. While this was a refreshing change, and helped combat the rest of the school's expected increased animosity towards them, many still found it hard to take the girl seriously when she occasionally went off on tangents about creatures none of them had ever heard of. Harry and Melody both expressed interest in learning about the various species - even if they weren't real they were still interesting to hear about them - but everyone else politely declined whenever Luna asked if they wanted to know more about what she was talking about.

The increased camaraderie between Harry and Luna allowed him to ask more personal questions, or rather, Luna felt more comfortable opening up around him. It wasn't long before Harry found out why she acted the way she did; she saw her father die. Her mother was a spell crafter, and shortly after Luna turned nine she was sitting in on one of her mother's experiments - testing a new spell when it backfired somehow. As spells tended to do most often when they went wrong, it exploded. Part of their house had collapsed, trapping both Luna and Selene inside. Xeno, Luna's father, had been in his study in the section of the house that remained standing and rushed to go help them.

The man had managed to exceed his limits and haul the debris out of the way to get them both free, but at the last second had been forced to shove his wife out of the way when a section of the roof had given out, getting crushed beneath the slab in the process. Upon seeing her father's death Luna wasn't able to deal with it and acted up a bit. Thanks to her mother, Luna wasn't as bad as she could have been, like if her father had lived instead. Xeno was a kind and caring person, but he was a bit crazy already, couldn't handle a large amount of responsibility and had never taken grief well.

To no one's surprise, after Luna had offhandedly mentioned being bullied again the incidents came to a sharp and sudden stop within a few days. Her, would be, bullies would go missing for a few hours, only to reappear completely pale and very respectful to the blond girl; giving her stolen items back right away. It was never mentioned around the blond that these people would not look Harry in the eye.

Some had - while Luna wasn't around - voiced concerns about his methods being too harsh, but Harry pointed out that, as useless as the staff was about disciplining those that deserved it, the bullies would only have points taken from them and possibly, if the infraction was bad enough and there was solid evidence, they would get thrown into a detention or two. Neither of these two punishments meant they would stop their bullying, it just meant they would be more sneaky about it. Harry's way guaranteed that they knew there would be consequences to their actions.

He refrained from admitting there had been a few slow learners among the House of the Wise and he had needed to actually carry out his threats. You wouldn't think an old sock and a bar of soap would be enough to cause five teenage boys to burst into tears, but that was the end result.

Harry found himself thinking of the future benefits of being such close friends with a girl who had voiced her desire to follow in her very successful mother's footsteps in spell creation, despite the accident. It would be awhile before this desire bore any real fruit, but he found himself with an abundance of time and made it clear that if she ever needed anything for experiments she should just ask.

Ron was a strange case for Harry, he wouldn't mind spending time with them and eager to learn and get along with everyone fairly well. But than there would be times where he would spend time with Tony and Neville, wanting nothing to do with them, nor the school work. Other times he would snap at the Slytherins any time they talked, and refuse to even open his books because nobody was willing to do all of his homework for him. And would call Harry a Dark Lord in Training, for being around the evil slimy snakes. It was all very abrupt and sudden, unnatural even, but Ron's behaviour had always been pretty hypocritical. Harry had nearly had enough, and was pretty close to breaking off whatever he had with the red head, it wasn't worth it all.

As for Quidditch and Alice Longbottom, for Quidditch they were having training after school and in the morning at the weekends. Harry found it boring, as all he had to do was look out the the Snitch whilst looking out for the Bludgers. Because of the bet, he couldn't pull out, as he needed to play for a year, so unless he was kicked off, there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. But that didn't mean that he didn't have plans for the first game.

And as for Alice, Harry had sent a few letters to his godmother, she tried to explain the reasons behind it, but he didn't care. He could understand wanting to protect their child, but he was her Godson, and had the same right for her protection too. They could train Neville and him together, hide each other in the same place, they would be together and protected. The only reason that he was writing to Alice, was because he wanted to get close to her and hope to fuck her and make her his and _repay _her for abandoning him for so long.

It was now Halloween, and Harry and his close friends were coming back from Nearly Headless Nick's 500th Deathday Party. A few days ago, Harry was walking back from Gryffindor's training sessions for their first Quidditch Game; it was hell and made him wonder why he accepted the damn bet. Captain Oliver Wood was a mad man, no matter the weather, he would train the team as hard as possible. The first day of training seemed to set the mood quite well; it was pouring out, any sensible person would be inside where it was dry and warm, but Oliver wanted to train, so they trained.

They also secretly planned to smother him with a pillow. Though that may have just been Harry.

When they finished Harry was heading back to the tower to get a wash when he was 'caught' by Mrs. Norris, the skeletal gray cat who was used by the caretaker, Argus Filch, as a sort of deputy in his endless battle against students. Despite not breaking any rules at all Harry was hauled back to the man's office.

He wasn't sure what the bitter man was going to do, but before he could open his mouth Harry heard a huge bang above them and the next thing he knew Filch was roaring about Peeves, the school poltergeist. The man stormed out of his office, his cat hot on his heels.

Harry waited a moments to make sure he was safe, looking at his surroundings as he did so. There was an envelope that stood out on the man's desk. Harry knew he shouldn't have looked at it, but his curiosity got the better of him. Contained within was basically the magical version of a self help book, or maybe just a scam. It was a series of pamphlets about people without magic, Squibs, learning how to use magic via magical foci the pamphlets were selling for exorbitant prices. Harry could easily make the connection, Filch was a Squib, which explained his bitter outlook on life. Harry wondered why Dumbledore would hire such a man like him, but quickly decided the man had some kind of grudge against children or something, because he hired Snape too.

Filch returned, but was too exhausted and covered in some kind of barf green slime to deal with Harry, so he dismissed the Gryffindor without any kind of punishment.

On his way back Harry bumped into Nick. The Nearly-Headless Ghost informed Harry that he was the one that sent Peeves to make the commotion. The two talked for a bit and after a while Harry agreed to go to Nick's Deathday party in gratitude for helping him out, and finally a way to thank him for finally having his head fully off from last year. Harry was also just interested in the idea, it sounded like something worth checking out on a day he would have rather avoided anything having to do with his parents. After requesting additional invitations for his friends, which a delighted Nick happily provided, they parted ways.

Harry found himself embraced by a giddy Luna when he pitched the idea at next study session. Apparently she was already going and had been hesitant about inviting the others. Her worries were unfounded, everyone seemed to find the party worth checking out and agreed to come. Luna did suggest they have something to eat first, since the only food there would be incredibly rotten and likely give them terrible tummy aches. The Weasley Twins came through for everyone when they revealed they knew how to get into the Hogwarts kitchen.

Harry thought's were interrupted when Hermione said, "Harry, it is time for us to get to the kitchens."

"Thank you, Hermione," Harry said with a smile, "I'll be with you in a few moments." And with that Harry finished what he was doing, and got ready to go to the kitchens.

When they got to the kitchens, it was hard for Hermione to hold her tongue when she found the House Elves making food for upcoming feast, but she remembered what Harry told her the past summer and really looked at the Elves. They all seemed very happy with what they were doing, chatting with one another as they worked, not at all like the mistreated creatures she'd made them out to be in her head. After eating some food, the group went to the Death Party.

Turns out Luna's advice was a very good idea, because every bit of the food was rotten and smelt horrible. When they asked Nick why this was he revealed that Ghosts couldn't really taste the food, but the closer anything was to 'death' the more of an… echo, of what the food once tasted like they could feel. Nick apologized for the lackluster explanation, but there really wasn't the right words to explain it to a living being.

So, as long as they stayed well away from the food table, the party itself was very interesting. The ghosts were more than happy to regale the students with tales of their life, and hours passed in what could even be considered an unofficial Magical History lesson. Like all good things though, the party eventually came to an end. Luna pointed out that if they hurried they could probably catch the serving of dessert in the Great Hall, so they set off on their way after a final goodbye to Nick.

Whilst the others weren't too happy about eating after seeing what they did at the party, Luna, Susan, Su, Melody, Hermione and Harry found the idea useful. Whilst what they saw in food wise was

_§ "… rip… tear… kill…" §_

Harry froze suddenly as they were making their , stumbling to a halt, looking around for the whispered voice.

"Harry, what're you-?" Hermione began as she noticed him stop.

_§ "… sssoo hungry… for ssso long…" §_

"I hear a really quiet voice, can anyone here it?" Harry asked.

_§ "… kill … time to kill…" §_

"I thought I heard something that sounded like running water, or maybe hissing." Luna mentioned, looking around too.

Harry didn't hear her, his ears were too busy tracking the whispers; they were moving, upwards. How could it be moving upward? Was it a phantom, or some other kind of being that could bypass solid objects?

"This way!" He exclaimed as he began to run up the stairs, into the Entrance Hall. It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall. Harry sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, his friends clattering behind him, wondering what was going on.

"Is it closer?" Melody asked.

Harry strained his ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, he heard the voice: _§ "… I sssmell blood… I SSSMELL BLOOD!" §_

Without a word Harry took off running again, flying up the next flight of stairs two at a time, trying to listen over his own pounding footsteps. He slid to a stop when he got to the top of the stairs and the voice quickly fled.

"Harry, what was that all about?" Susan panted, wiping sweat off her face. "I couldn't hear anything…"

But Hermione gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor. "Look!" She exclaimed in shock.

Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

_**The Chamber of Secrets has been opened.**_

_**Enemies of the Heir, beware!**_

"What's that?" Su wondered.

A sudden splashing caused them to jump, only to relax when they looked down and found the area flooded. Ignoring the water they began inching close to the message again, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All three of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash; Peeves, the school's poltergeist. He was floating there, his body was arced backwards.

For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Daphne said, "Let's get out of here."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." He agreed, not wanting to get the blame for whatever happened to the poltergeist.

"Shouldn't we try and help Peeves?" Hermione spoke up.

Daphne shook her head, "Trust me, we don't want to be found here. And how do you suggest we can help a poltergeist?"

Thanks to Daphne's warning, the group had enough warning to get away before the incoming flood of people leaving the Great Hall arrived. Draco's voice could be heard echoing off the walls as they quietly filed down the nearest staircase.

"You're next, Mudbloods!"

Whilst no one knew happened to the poltergeist, it didn't stop whispers starting up as to their strange own theories as to whatever to poltergeist. The idea that Draco was guilty was briefly considered, prompted by his bragging they heard, but it was quickly dismissed. One Draco was far too young to know spells of that strength to do anything to a poltergeist, even if he did have the guts to finally act instead of just strut and brag it certainly wouldn't be something so severe. And he didn't have the time to do anything, as many seen him in the Great Hall before hand.

_**o0OoO0o**_

"Harry, my boy," Dumbledore said with soft smile from behind his desk. "I'm sure you can understand why we are having this meeting."

"With respect, I'm not 'your boy,' Professor," Harry said firmly, the rage in his voice audible. He had sat down in the chair across from Dumbledore after being brought the office thanks to discovering Peeves. Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, was perched on Harry's shoulder softly crooning to the youth. He was a beautiful bird and was at least somewhat helping Harry's nerves to calm down a bit, even if there was some pain in the music too. Not surprising with the path he decided to go down in life. But yet there was something about the phoenix, Harry couldn't put his finger on it, but the bird seemed to want something from Harry, but he wasn't sure what.

"Why you little -" Snape sneered from behind Dumbledore's shoulder, interrupting Harry's thoughts.

"What are you even doing here, Sir?" said Harry, cutting the Potion Master off as he glared at the man.

"Harry, I trust Professor Snape, I assure you he -"

"I don't see what that has to do with anything, Headmaster." Harry turned his glare on Dumbledore. "If I'm going to be interrogated shouldn't my Head of House be here? In fact, why isn't she? You know that if we meet up, I want my Head of House needs to be here too."

"Why you, I can't believe the arrogance you display!" Snape snarled, as Harry felt the Potion Master trying to enter his mind, but he pushed him back with his shields, burning part of the burnt nose man's mind.

"Ahh…" Snape screamed in pain, as he held his head.

"And _that's _why I want Professor McGonagall here," Harry sneered at the man who dared to enter his mind, "you can't be trusted to be the Professor you are _meant _to be."

"Now I think I'll wait for you to call Professor McGonagall, before we go any further." And with that Harry sat down and waited, as he stroked the phoenix, and begun to wonder what the bird wanted from someone like him. Someone who was walking down a Dark Path.

As Harry seat there, Dumbledore sighed at this turn of events as he called a House-Elf to get Harry's Head of House, he suspected the young man would want his Head of House here, but he had hoped to forgo having her here this time so Snape or he could look in Harry's mind without her being there. But that idea was out of the window, he knew that Potter had strong Occlumency Shields, but he didn't think the young man could defend from someone like Snape, if he really wanted to get into a person's mind. He wouldn't dare to try now, but still, he needed to know what he and his friends knew and what they had been up to. He didn't dare to do so with Potter around, but the thing is he was never away from the two people who might know anything: the Granger girls.

Albus Dumbledore sighed once again, nothing he seemed to do would make any headway in getting close to the boy, and he needed to so he could make sure that the Boy-Who-Lived took the right path that he planned for the boy. Before he could think more of it, Professor McGonagall knocked on his door and he allowed her in.

"Now that Professor McGonagall is here, can you tell us what happened this evening Mr. Potter?" The Headmaster asked Harry.

"Well to start off with me and my friends were invited by Sir Nicholas to his 500th Deathday Party, as a way of saying 'thank you for helping find a way for removing his head last year.'" Harry explained to the professors, not telling them that Nick helped him to get out trouble not long ago.

"You have us believe that you went to a ghost's Death Party?" Snape asked with a sneer, "I don't think they serve food suitable for human consumption."

"You are right, they don't have food suitable for human consumption," Harry admitted to the greasy haired Professor, but then went on to say to knock the smirk off the man's face, "but we ate in the kitchens before going, you can ask the House-Elves, they'll back us up. Once we went to the Death Party, other than the bad food, we had a good night talking to the ghosts there, unlike Professor Binns, we learnt a night learning a few things about the castle and about their past."

"So how did you and your friends end up where we found Peeves?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"After the party, whilst most of the group didn't feel up for eating, a few of us decided to go the Great Hall in the hopes to get some dessert." Harry explained to his Head of House, "But on the way to the Great Hall, I heard a voice that sounded like it came from the walls. I ran after it and we found Peeves. The end. If you don't believe me, you can ask the others."

"They heard no such voice." Snape said with a look of supreme satisfaction.

"Doesn't change the fact that I did, one that was out to kill someone." Harry told them darkly, "Are you going to give me detention for hearing voices now? Or maybe you're going to take points for not being at the Feast?"

"I believe that is enough, Albus." The Gryffindor Head of House turned her withering stare onto first Snape and then Dumbledore. "Peeves was petrified with something very strong and likely very dark, for something to do that to a poltergeist. No second year could know how to do this. Harry and his friends have shown a remarkable proclivity to being in the wrong place at the right time. This is clearly yet another instance of his particular brand of luck manifesting. If you have no further questions, I will take my lion back to his dormitory."

"Of course, Minerva. Have a pleasant evening, Harry," Dumbledore nodded to Harry with that annoying ever present twinkle still present. Harry just scowled at him and Snape before following McGonagall out. But as he got to the office door, Harry stopped and turned round and said, "You should look for who petrified Peeves, before they find their real target."

"What do you mean Mr. Potter?" the Headmaster asked worriedly.

"From the voice I heard, it was after someone who was alive," Harry explained to Dumbledore, "Peeves is dead, and so most likely at the wrong place at the wrong time. As why would someone want to attack a poltergeist? So whoever the target was could still be in danger, unless they went to look for someone else."

This concerned all that was there, what the Boy-Who-Lived said, made sense. Something they didn't like to think about. But Professor McGonagall lead Harry out of the office as the other two Professors thought about what was just said.

"Thanks, Professor." Harry muttered as they walked away from the Gargoyle.

"No problems Mr. Potter, I'm just doing my job." McGonagall told her young Gryffindor, as they walked down the stairs.

The two fell into silence until they approached the portrait into the Gryffindor tower. "I hope the rest of your evening improves somewhat, Mr. Potter. Have a pleasant night."

_**To be Continued!**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Here ends the ninth part of The Serpent's Lair Saga, I would like to thank you once again for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and take a few moments to review. I also hope you read all of this note, as I would like your feedback on some things to help me out in the story.

Whilst I have someone looking at most of the spelling and grammar, I'm now looking for a new Beta Reader to help with making sure that the sentence structure is done right, and add/alter things that I missed and someone who can remove what shouldn't be there. The one I have been using is looking for a place to live at the moment, and so don't have much time to work on this at the moment.

Now you might have noticed some ideas from Strings of Fate by Knife Hand and from the series, 'Harry Potter in the Claw of the Raven' by BakenandEggs, and a scene from Harry Potter and the Rune Stone Path By: Temporal Knight, but I have their permission to do so. So please don't report me, I did ask beforehand.

_**A few question I would like your thoughts on:**_

_**What pranks should Harry and the twins pull this year? I'm looking for ideas for both magical and non-magical ones. Right now, I'm looking for a prank that the Weasley Twins could pull on Harry to start a prank war between the three of them. Any ideas would be appreciated.**_

_**I'm still after ideas of how Harry could turn his friends Dark and joining him, instead of using Confundus Charm. Any and all ideas are welcomed.**_

Just as a reminder, flame reviews from guests will be removed. If they point out a problem that needs to be fixed, or ideas that I could use to make the story better, I'll keep them, but keep it constructive. Please consider this when reviewing, as I don't want you to waste your time (or mine) on unhelpful flame reviews.

I would like to announce (for those that don't have alerts for my new stories) that I have posted yet another new story. This one is a Fallout/Harry Potter story. I won't say much, as I want you to read it for yourself, but it until Fallout 4 Saga, it'll be mainly be about the Fallout World but with what would happen should certain people found out about the Magical World. But once we get to Fallout 4, we'll see Harry Potter, and what he does once he awakes in the new world. The story is called Magical Fallout, I hope that you'll go and read it, as I would like to see what you think of it.

Just so you know though, this will be the last chapter of The Rise of Overlord Vulcan for a while, as I'm going to go and work on the side story for a bit. And for those who were wondering why I haven't put much about them in this story, that's because I want the main story to be all about Harry and not the Mystics, which is why I wrote the side story. So I can write about the Mystics, and not interrupt the main story. So if you want to learn more about the Mystics, and see more about them, go and read the side story now.

That said, I would like to thank you once again for reading, and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter. Feel free to offer up any ideas you might have for future chapters, and any powers you would like to see used in the story.

Now as for the vote about keeping the basilisk alive or not, by a huge margin on the poll on fanfiction . net, the poll says kill the basilisk, but allow Harry to find a basilisk egg somehow. And so that's what is going to happen. I would like to thank you for the votes.

Yes kill it, but have a basilisk egg somewhere for Harry to find! 59

No don't kill it! 17

Yes kill it! 6

Now there is a new poll, this one is what should the third year title be: The top titles are the ones to be voted on, I hope you vote for the one you want, unless there's another poll, this one well stay up until the end of the second year. You can pick at least two of the ones you want to win, the winning one will be shown in the third year.

Top Titles:

Breaking Free

New Moon's Rise

Return of The Grim

Hearts of Darkness

Shadowed Hearts

_(Hearts of Darkness and Shadowed Hearts are two of mine, and I came up with them because of the spell Harry'll get to turn people's alliance from light to dark.)_

Titles Not being voted on:

Overlord Ascending

The Breakouts

The Two Prisoners

Dark Awakening

Evil Finds A Way

Reborn and Rebirth

The Black Heart

The Birth of Black

Call of Fear

The Face of Fear

Towers and Prisons

The rise Commences

The Overlord's Lair

Life, Death and Power

A Dementer's Kiss

The Silver Stag

_**Next on Rise of Overlord Vulcan:**_ Another timeskip, this time we'll see Harry's first Quidditch match, and Harry becoming an outcast.

I have asked robst who wrote You're my Density if I could use the Quidditch match from their story, so unless they get back to me and say no, I'll be using the idea from it. So you know here is the review that I asked about it:

The Dark Dragen chapter 9 . Dec 6, 2016

I would like to ask if I could use parts of chapter 8, s/11033616/8/, for one of my stories, as it fit nicely to what I want to happen in my story. I hope you allow me to, the parts I want use is the game and kicking Harry out of Gryffindor.


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